Man United want to sign De Jong instead of Ugarte

Manchester United are aiming to sign a new midfielder before the transfer window closes.

The Red Devils have been linked with Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte in recent weeks, but a deal could be hard to pull off due to the size of the fee.

Les Parisiens want around £60 million for the former Sporting CP man and they have no plans of reducing their valuation despite signing Joao Neves.

This could force United to look at alternative options and Sport (page 6) claims they could make a fresh approach to sign Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.

United will reportedly ‘spare no effort’ to try and sign the Netherlands international, but they face a big hurdle with De Jong reluctant to part ways with the Catalan giants.

The former Ajax star previously turned down the chance to join United two years ago.

De Jong, who is currently nursing an ankle injury picked up last season, has two years left on his contract on a huge salary. Barcelona are open to selling him for £51m.

The club are desperate to return to the 1:1 spending rule but require a significant sale.

United are unlikely to sign De Jong

United manager Erik ten Hag was determined to reunite with De Jong in 2022. The club reached an agreement with Barcelona, but the midfielder refused to negotiate terms.

The 27-year-old has shown no interest in leaving the Spanish giants over the years, and it is unlikely that he will contemplate an exit during the ongoing transfer window.

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He is undergoing rehabilitation after an ankle injury and has yet to return to team training.

The price tag may not be a concern for United, but his wages could be a huge stumbling block.

The Dutchman earns a basic salary of around £406,000 per week at Barcelona, and he could demand an increase if he moves before the deadline.

This may not be practical for the Red Devils. Casemiro is the highest earner at £350,000 weekly with Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes behind him on £300,000 per week.

Unless the club remove Casemiro from their wage bill, they may struggle to meet De Jong’s demands.