Manchester United are ‘ready to admit defeat’ in their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong, with the club to move on to alternative targets.
United look set to be frustrated after a summer-long pursuit of the Netherlands international, who was named as Erik ten Hag’s leading transfer target following his appointment at Old Trafford.
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Ten Hag had wanted to build his Manchester United midfield around De Jong, having worked alongside the 25-year-old at former club Ajax.
United are understood to have agreed a fee with Barcelona last month, but complications over unpaid wages owed to De Jong from the Catalan side and a reported reluctance to join a non-Champions League club have seen a deal fail to materialise.
The Mail are reporting that the Red Devils are now ‘ready to admit defeat’ in their pursuit and will move on to midfield alternatives, including a deal for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, while Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has also been linked.
Barring ‘an unexpected turn of events’, Chelsea now appear a more likely destination for De Jong should he leave the Camp Nou. The west Londoners – who are also interested in signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the Spanish side – are willing to match Barcelona’s valuation and are able to offer Champions League football.
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