Manchester United are in talks with Barcelona for the signature of De Jong in the ongoing transfer window.
The Dutchman is the top target for new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, who wants to take him to Old Trafford and make him the lynchpin of his side.
The negotiations have dragged on as Manchester United are reluctant to meet Barcelona’s €85m asking price and are trying to negotiate the fee down.
Manchester United are expected to table a bid worth €70m plus add-ons soon, but it has been claimed that Barcelona are holding up the deal at their end.
They are unlikely to accept any bids for De Jong as they are in the process of selling their merchandising and TV rights.
Barcelona believe they will have more clarity on their precarious financial situation once those deals are in place.
They do not want to rush into a decision to sell De Jong or any other player before those deals are in place.
Manchester United are keen to wrap up the deal soon with Ten Hag set to start pre-season preparations next week.
