As Frenkie de Jong’s exit from Camp Nou gathers steam, it has emerged that Barcelona have already prepared a farewell video for the Dutch midfielder, reports journalist Gerard Romero.
De Jong, 25, is supposedly edging closer to joining Manchester United for an initial €65 million fee plus €20 million in add-ons. While the midfielder was initially reluctant to switch alliances, his decision has now changed.
De Jong’s unwillingness to move to Old Trafford was largely down to Man United’s lack of Champions League football. The player, however, seems to have changed his mind as Barcelona have agreed an initial fee of €65 million in principle plus add-ons that could take it to €85 million.
Should the transfer goes through, de Jong will become the most expensive Dutch player in the history of the sport — add-ons included.
And now that the fee has been agreed, the operation is now in the final stage. As of today, both Barcelona and Manchester United are negotiating the variables that have been included in the deal as part of the add-ons.
It is important to note that while de Jong was initially hesitant to join Manchester United, the presence of Erik ten Hag, under whom he played his best football at Ajax, has proved to be the overriding factor.
For Barcelona, losing someone as talented as de Jong will be tough, but they do have another midfielder, Franck Kessie, joining the roster ahead of the new season.
In fact, de Jong’s departure will help Barcelona big time in freeing up some economical space as they continue to comply with the salary cap rule.
For what it’s worth, Barcelona would hope the Dutchman’s exit would be the beginning of a mass exodus as the team still has plenty of deadwood left to be sold. This includes the likes of Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet, Martin Braithwaite, Riqui Puig and Oscar Mingueza.
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