Erik ten Hag ‘convinces’ Frenkie de Jong his future lies at Man United

Must have taken some convincing

Erik ten Hag has reportedly convinced Frenkie de Jong that his future lies at Manchester United as the Red Devils try to work a deal with Barcelona. Ten Hag is keen to reunite with De Jong, who he worked with at Ajax, and has identified him as a priority  for the midfield position in his rebuild of United. But the 25-year-old is said to be reluctant over a move to Old Trafford, citing the lack of Champions League football on offer next season. However The Mirror says that Ten Hag has managed to talk De Jong into realising he wants a move to the Premier League and can realise his full potential. Any deal to sign the Dutch international will require a large fee after an opening bid of £60m was rejected - with Barcelona holding out closer to Man United's club record fee of £89m, which they paid for Paul Pogba back in 2016. But other reports suggest that £65m may be enough for the Catalan giants to accept as they need to sell players in order to trim their wage bill and stabilise their disastrous finances. Last month it was reported that Barca would need to sell as many as nine key players in order to balance the books and despite repeatedly stressing about their lack of funds, continue to be linked with big-money moves for star players, with Robert Lewandowski the most recent name. Insiders at Barcelona believe that De Jong is the most sellable asset as they feel he can generate a multi-million pound sale, but the 25-year-old has been advised to not speak about the move publicly until a fee has been agreed. Related links:

• Man United ‘turned down De Jong and De Ligt’ after scout recommendation
• Frenkie de Jong could snub Man United ‘because the weather is bad’
• Louis van Gaal tells Jurrien Timber it ‘is not so wise’ to consider Manchester United move