MANCHESTER UNITED are willing to wait until the final day of the transfer window to seal a deal for Frenkie de Jong, according to reports.
The Red Devils have been locked in talks with Barcelona for over two months but are still yet to sew up a deal.
Frenkie de Jong has travelled on Barcelona’s pre-season tour
Club bosses thought they’d made a breakthrough earlier this week, when they agreed a £72million fee after John Murtough and Richard Arnold flew over to Catalonia.
But the deal hit a snag, with claims De Jong does not want to leave Barca.
The Dutchman has flown out to the US with his team-mates for Barcelona’s pre-season tour, while club president Joan Laporta has maintained that he is not for sale.
Despite these difficulties, the Mirror claim boss Erik ten Hag is urging United chiefs to keep trying to get the deal done.
The Dutchman, 52, sees his former Ajax prodigy as integral to his plans and is willing to wait until the final day of the transfer window to get his man.
Should De Jong sign on August 31, he will have missed matches against Brighton, Brentford, Liverpool and Southampton.
Many United fans have been discouraged by De Jong’s apparent unwillingness to move to Old Trafford.
But Red Devils chiefs believe it is merely a ploy to strengthen his own bargaining position with Barca.
De Jong is reportedly owed £17m in deferred wages by his current side.
His representatives believe that a public pronouncement of desire to join United would weaken their negotiating position as they try and extract that money out of Barcelona.
It’s claimed that De Jong is in regular contact with Ten Hag and IS willing to join United after all.
Despite pleading poverty, Barcelona have continued to spend frivolously this summer.
Raphinha has arrived from Leeds for £55m, while Robert Lewandowski will join for £42.5m from Bayern Munich.
Raphinha was unveiled at Barcelona this week
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