Manchester United could be set for a transfer tag of war with Barcelona for Frenkie De Jong following Luis van Gaal's latest comments. The Dutch national team head coach witnessed another masterful midfield performance from the 25-year-old in Wednesday night's clash with Wales and insists that the player's ability should be able to earn his current side a little over a €100M euros in transfer fees.
De Jong's name has dominated headlines in recent weeks with his future at Barca currently uncertain. The La Liga club are looking to solve their financial crisis and, as a result, have lined up the former Ajax star as one of the players they are willing to let go for the right price. As a result, Manchester United have been in contact with the Spanish giants and are looking to negotiate a deal that will see the player and his former boss Erik Ten Hag reunite at Old Trafford.
While De Jong is still committed to remaining at Barcelona, United have reportedly made significant progress in negotiations with the Catalans. On Wednesday after, a report by Spanish publication Marca revealed that the Red Devils had officially tabled a €60M offer plus €20M in add-ons to test the resolve of Barca. The offer is believed to be under consideration by the Catalans.
However, former Manchester United boss and the current head coach of the Netherlands, Louis van Gaal has put the Old Trafford oufit in an awkward position by claiming that De Jong is worth more. After leading thee Oranje to a late 2-1 win in the Nations League group encounter with Wales, the 70-year-old coach said: "Frenkie de Jong brings an extra quality to this team. That's why he's worth €112M."
The figure quoted by Van Gaal is not arbitrary and chosen at random. According to a CIES Football Observatory analysis, De Jong's genuine transfer value is €112.5M. It remains to be seen whether Barcelona will compromise and accept the offer proposed by Man United.
