sport news Frenkie de Jong has grown frustrated at Camp Nou and the club could be forced ... trends now
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If Manchester United sign Frenkie de Jong he will be a reluctant recruit having told Barcelona he does not want to leave the club this summer.
On the bright side they'll be getting a player who is only 25, who has worked with Erik ten Hag at Ajax, and has shown enough in three years at Barcelona to suggest he can yet become one of Europe's top midfielders.
Xavi wants him to stay and there can be few more convincing votes of confidence for the Dutch international. When De Jong reacted badly to being taken off against Rayo Vallecano last month he went straight down the tunnel without acknowledging his manager but the two had a clear-the-air meeting several days later, with Xavi telling him he had not lost confidence in him and wanted him at the club next season.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has emerged as a key target for Manchester United
Incoming United boss Erik ten Hag is reportedly keen on reuniting with the Dutch star
That has been Xavi's message to the Barcelona directors too but the club need to bring in four times as much as they spend this summer because of La Liga's spending limits and the club see him as the one player they can move on for a big fee.
De Jong earns £8.5million (€10million) net a season at Barcelona and they see getting him off the wage bill and bringing in a transfer fee optimistically set at £59.6m (€70m) - they paid €75m plus €11m in add-ons in 2019 - as a way to free up funds this summer.
It's not just Xavi's faith in him that is making De Jong want to stay.
