For the entirety of the 2022 summer transfer window, Manchester United have been linked with Frenkie de Jong.
However, the Red Devils do not appear to be close to agreeing a deal for the midfielder.
De Jong seemingly has no desire to leave Barcelona. One report even claimed that the midfielder has no interest in joining Manchester United because he dislikes the city and believes the club is run erratically:
Spanish outlet Sport, meanwhile, claim that De Jong is willing to depart Barcelona, but only if the chance to join Bayern Munich presented itself.
Now though, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has all but killed off any hope Man United had of signing De Jong this summer.
Speaking about the midfielder on Friday, Laporta all but confirmed that De Jong will remain at the Camp Nou.
However, he did also suggest an issue with wages may impact the Dutchman heading into the new season:
“Frenkie wants to stay and the club wants him to stay,” said Laporta. “However, we may have conversations, as there is a new salary scale in place. Our wage bill is 40% higher compared to our competitors, and we have to discuss that with our players.”
He added: “We will do everything possible for Frenkie de Jong to stay. I hope that he does the same.”
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