"No I can't" - 25-year-old Manchester United target provides interesting answer when asked about potential transfer
Manchester United's reported target, midfielder Frenkie de Jong, has refused to divulge any information about his potential transfer from Barcelona. He stated that he "can't say" when asked about moving from Spain to Manchester.
As per the Daily Star, Manchester United have a 'deal in principle' with Barcelona for the transfer of De Jong. The Dutchman was recently questioned by a reporter (via The United Stand):
“Are you leaving the beaches of Catalonia to the cold of Manchester?”
He laughed and replied:
“No I can't, I can't say anything.”
Reporter: “Are you leaving the beaches of Catalonia to the cold of Manchester?”
Frenkie De Jong: “(Laughs). No I can't, I can't say anything.” [@espn, @OjoDeSauron_] #mufc
Here's a video of the comments in question:
Journalist: “Are you going from the beaches of Catalonia to the cold of Manchester?”
Frenkie de Jong: “(Laughs). I can't, I can't say anything.” #MUFC [ESPN via @OjoDeSauron_] https://t.co/vZ5AbwyuKe
De Jong is currently playing with the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League and started in their 2-2 draw against Poland on June 11. The final game for the Oranje this season will be on June 14 when they take on Wales in Rotterdam.
As per the aforementioned Daily Star report, De Jong's deal will cost Manchester United around £70 million. This will help the Blaugrana fund a move for Manchester City's Bernardo Silva.
The Barcelona midfielder has shown his ability for his national side in this UEFA Nations League campaign as well.
De Jong has previously worked with Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag during their time at Ajax. They reached the semi-finals of the Champions League before the midfielder moved to Camp Nou in 2019.
He has since made 139 appearances for the Spanish side, scoring 13 goals and making 17 assists.
Frenkie de Jong open to joining Manchester United
As per The Athletic (via SPORT), De Jong is open to a move to Manchester United after early reluctance. The Dutchman has previously expressed his desire to stay at the Camp Nou. However, the Blaugrana need to offload players for financial reasons and are open to selling important players.
As per the report, De Jong's camp were looking for offers from clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, who could offer Champions League football. However, with Barcelona putting him on the transfer list, he's now open to a move to Old Trafford.
Frenkie de Jong’s 2021/22 LaLiga season (31 games played):
1,583 passes played (91% completed)
64 tackles + interceptions (2.5 p90)
60 attempted dribbles (85% completed)
51 successful dribbles
43 chances created
6 goal involvements
3 goals scored
3 assists
Quality. 🇳🇱🔴 https://t.co/NSBktSAGGY
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has also stated recently in an interview on Barca TV+ (via Barca Universal):
“If our economic situation requires the sale of an important player, we are ready for that."
United will hope to get this deal done soon. With Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba leaving the club, they desperately need a top-quality central midfielder.