“The club fritter money away like you wouldn’t believe” – Stan Collymore claims Manchester United will have no problem shelling out wages for 24-year-old Man City target
Former Liverpool forward Stan Collymore has claimed Manchester United will have no problem paying Frenkie de Jong's wages if the Barcelona midfielder makes the move to the Premier League.
De Jong, 24, joined Barca from Ajax in 2019 for £77.4 million and is currently part of the transformation the club have undergone following Lionel Messi's departure at the start of the season.
The Dutch midfielder has made 137 appearances for the Blaugrana, scoring 13 goals and contributing 17 assists during his time at the Nou Camp. There has been speculation linking the Dutchman with a move to the Premier League, with both the Red Devils and neighbors Manchester City reportedly interested.
Erik ten Hag, who managed de Jong during their time together at Ajax, is reportedly keen on reuniting with the midfielder at United once he takes over this summer.
This would be an incredible signing.
Diario Sport have also reported that Frenkie de Jong is a "priority target" for Erik ten Hag and "Man Utd will make an offer for him" 👀 https://t.co/CiZoJXb45f
Collymore believes Manchester United would be willing to pay the player huge wages to join the Old Trafford overhaul. In his column for CaughtOffside, Collymore wrote:
"From a United perspective – what do the Red Devils offer him? – Well, he would have a manager he is familiar with and the wages wouldn’t be a problem because the club fritter money away like you wouldn’t believe."
Comparing United and City's interest in the Barca star, Collymore has given his opinion on which side he would look to join if he were in de Jong's position. He continued:
"Personally, I would join the older, grander club with the richest history but younger players nowadays are different. If De Jong wants to win trophies in the short term, he’ll go to Manchester City."
"However, it could be very tempting for him to consider United, especially if Erik Ten Hag did sign Rice from West Ham in the summer and then started next season very well."
Frenkie de Jong's future at Barcelona under speculation with Manchester United circling
According to Gerard Romero (via UtdPlug), Barcelona manager Xavi is aware that if a satisfactory offer comes in from Manchester United for de Jong this summer, the player will depart.
Barcelona have already sealed an agreement with AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie to join as a free agent at the end of the season (per Fabrizio Romano). That may open the door to a potential deal to be struck with United for de Jong.
#FCB
Here we go. After verbal agreement reached days ago, Franck Kessié has signed as new Barcelona player until June 2026 - it’s gonna be four year deal, he joins as free agent from AC Milan. 🔵🔴 #FCB
Kessié will receive €6.5m net salary plus add-ons. Medical already completed. https://t.co/9kFCIPJXn5
SPORT reports that the new Manchester United manager has earmarked the Dutch midfielder as a top priority for his summer rebuild. Given that United's apparent transfer budget is around £250 million (per SPORT) the deal seems doable.