The story between Barcelona and Manchester United for Frenkie de Jong seems never-ending. The 25-year-old Dutchman was the chosen one to be transferred in this transfer window by the Spanish team’s officials, and the Red Devils were the team that showed the most interest in the player.
It is known that Barcelona need money, but at the same time are not willing to sell the player for a low price. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United aregetting closer and closer to agreeing on a fee with Barcelona for De Jong for 65 million euros plus add-ons. The complete deal will be around 85 million euros, but nothing has been settled yet.
In this context, reports claim that the former Ajax player does not want to leave Barcelona. While everything is being decided, the Cules would already have his replacement in mind, and Manchester United would already know who to sign if they do not manage to conquer De Jong.
Barcelona and Manchester United’s Plan Bs
For Xavi Hernandez, the ideal replacement for De Jong is Bernardo Silva, but Barcelona’s chances of signing the Portuguese are almost nil. The 27-year-old is a key player in Pep Guardiola‘s team, and Manchester City would not sell him for less than 100 million, according to reports.
That is why the Cules would be looking to sign Carlos Soler. As reported by AS, Barcelona and Valencia reached an agreement for the player two months ago, and the deal would be between 15 and 20 million euros. In addition, the 25-year-old player would sign a four-year contract.
While Manchester United are determined to sign De Jong, however, if they fail to do so, according to Mirror, they already have their plan B. Erik ten Hag‘s second choice would be Youri Tielemans. The 25-year-old Belgian arrived at Leicester City in 2019 and has since made 157 appearances, scored 24 goals, and provided 24 assists. According to Transfermarkt, Tielemans has a market value of 55,000,000 euros.