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Man Utd need to get over Ferguson exit – Javier Hernandez
Frenkie de Jong’s agent has given a clear hint that the Manchester United and Chelsea target could be set to stay at Barcelona after commenting on one of his Instagram posts. The Dutchman is said to be keen to stay at the Camp Nou and his intermediary, Ali Dursan, has given his support to this aim by positively responding to a picture of the star in his Blaugrana training kit.
De Jong has been at the centre of a summer-long transfer saga with United, in particular, engaging in a very public pursuit of the player.
The Red Devils have been widely reported to have had a bid of around £64million accepted for the Netherlands’ international but the move has since stalled.
Chelsea are also believed to have a keen interest in the player with Thomas Tuchel weighing up matching their Premier League rivals' bid.
However, De Jong’s preference is to prolong his stay with the Catalan giants, who he supported as a boy. He is also reluctant to leave until he has received an unpaid wage bill of around £17m.
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Frenkie de Jong would prefer to stay at Barcelona than move to Chelsea or Manchester United (Image: GETTY)
The club are over £1billion in debt and struggling to register their new signings under La Liga rules as a result.
The club needs to trim its wage bill and reduce spending and the Dutch star is seen as one of their most sellable assets.
It is also likely he will see a reduced amount of game time next season if he does stay given the quality of midfield trio Gavi, Pedri and Sergio Busquets.
Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has said De Jong should join Chelsea rather than United if he does end up leaving, given the Red Devils’ decline in recent seasons.
“De Jong, if he’s leaving Barcelona, he does not want to go to Manchester United,” he told Talksport. “There are quotes that have come out that he would rather Bayern Munich, he would rather Chelsea.
“If I’m choosing a team in the Premier League and I’ve got the chance of Chelsea or Manchester United, I’m choosing Chelsea.”
The transfer saga continues to rumble on and De Jong’s future may not be sorted until the window slams shut on September 1st.