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De Jong to Manchester United on a Free Transfer?

Frenkie de Jong’s transfer rumors to Manchester United would be football’s longest soap opera. The Dutch midfielder has long been the chaser of the Red Devils for years, but each time the chase ends in heartache for them. However, now United are said to have gotten the man—and on a free! Yes, you read that right. Barcelona is also working on that one, as De Jong is reportedly planning to leave Camp Nou without the Catalan club earning a single euro, as his contract expires in 2026.

Guess who’s waiting for open arms… Manchester United, of course. Coach still wants it because he is also a big admirer of this child. Former Ajax coach Ruben Amorim is an admirer of this child; he is still a very long-awaited child. Coach is still pushing for the child, and this long-term pursuit could come to an end.

Why Barcelona Might Be Ready to Let De Jong Go

There are few secrets to Barcelona as famous or fashionable as their tiki taka style of play and their financial problems. That’s a problem because De Jong is one of their highest earners. The club is desperately trying to slash its wage bill to make room for new signings, namely United’s Marcus Rashford (who, to be crystal clear, isn’t switching to Barca… not quite yet).

It’s thought that new boss Hans-Dieter Flick isn’t a fan of De Jong’s, and reports suggest that his presence at the club isn’t important to sporting director Deco or president Joan Laporta. They would love to sell him for a decent fee, but De Jong has other thoughts. He is believed to have it set in his head that he wants to run his contract down, walk away for free, and earn astronomical sums elsewhere.

As opportunists do, Manchester United have apparently approached De Jong’s agent to ask him to turn down any further contract offers from Barcelona. Even they have even promised him a mouthwatering €15 million signing bonus if he joins them for free in 2026.

De Jong at United: A Midfield Masterstroke or Another Expensive Gamble?

For a while now, United’s midfield has been crying out for someone like De Jong. He would bring technical ability, press resistance, and passing range that would be a major step up. Casemiro is set to age and starts looking like he is on a retirement plan for his legs. Mason Mount’s fitness issues and Christian Eriksen’s legs not exactly looking good. So, United look to fill their midfield puzzle by way of De Jong.

However, (as there’s always a however) is waiting until 2026 the ideal strategy? United need midfield reinforcements now, not two years later. Secondly, it’s not forgetting De Jong’s season of injury management. There will be a reason Barcelona is letting him go, but with United not wanting to repeat another of their infamous mistakes. Hello to Alexis Sánchez on piano intro.

Will This Transfer Saga Finally End?

Look, we’ve been here before. The bid was accepted by United for De Jong in 2022, but he opted to stay at Barcelona. There’s no one saying that he won’t do the same again.

However, there is also the small matter of other top clubs lurking in the shadow. De Jong, however, would be free to sign for Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. Furthermore, Manchester City could offer him their own mega-contract if he is available at no cost. In Pep Guardiola’s pocket is probably all of United’s planning. If he rings him up, it could all be ruined quicker than a post-match Erik ten Hag excuse.

My Take on the Never-Ending De Jong Saga

As a football fan, I am both tired and hilarious by all of this transfer going on. There is the one couple whose situation never ends without an unfortunate preview of events, dragging everyone through exasperating episodes of trial and failure. Even with United so desperately chasing De Jong for so long that their fans too have lost count as to how many times this rumor has been reported. This has only come about against the narrowest of expectations.

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