Manchester United’s unwillingness to negotiate a fee for Frenkie de Jong as soon as possible ended his proposed transfer from Barcelona, according to Algemeen Dagblad.
Erik ten Hag had identified De Jong as his priority midfield target, and it has now been revealed that the delay in finalising the transfer hampered United’s chances of signing him.
According to AD, negotiations between United and Barcelona began smoothly before the international break in June, and everything was discussed, including the fee, salary demands, and bonuses.
However, Manchester United’s hierarchy decided to delay finalising an agreement, owing to concerns about the overall cost of the 25-year-old’s transfer.
United is said to have squandered valuable time between the end of the international break and the player’s vacation. The Dutchman made it clear upon his return that he intended to stay at Barcelona.
As a result, it appears that the Red Devils missed out on their top target due to indecisiveness, much to Ten Hag’s annoyance, who clearly desired a reunion with his ex-Ajax star. If they had decided to meet the transfer demands from the start, a deal would have been pretty straightforward.
The United officials decided to negotiate and after several meetings with Barcelona officials, they reached an agreement reportedly worth €85 million. On July 14, about a month after the international break, the verbal agreement was finalised. However, by that time, De Jong had returned from his vacation and decided to make it clear that he did not want to leave.
Barcelona who were desperate to sell him initially because of financial reasons had found a solution by pulling as many as four economic levers in the summer. This allowed them to register all their players as well as keep De Jong.