Manchester United have supposedly been dealt another heavy blow in their pursuit of Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong after their £72m agreement with La Blaugrana expired.
The Red Devils have been targeting the 25-year-old all summer long, with Erik ten Hag desperate to reunite with his former Ajax protege at Old Trafford.
United and Barcelona initially struggled to find common ground on the financial side of things, with De Jong still contracted to the Blaugrana until the summer of 2026.
The two clubs eventually reached an agreement for a reported full fee of £72m, but convincing De Jong to make the move to Old Trafford has been a fruitless endeavour for Man United.
The Red Devils would only be able to offer the 25-year-old Europa League football as opposed to the Champions League football he enjoys at Camp Nou, and there is also the issue of his deferred wages.
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De Jong is said to be owed approximately €18m (£15.2m) by Barcelona and is refusing to budge on his stance, which is supposedly holding up Man United's other transfer business as Ten Hag seeks to push through a move.
However, the de Telegraaf podcast Kick Off now claims that United's agreement on a fee with Barcelona has now expired, further complicating matters regarding a move for the Dutchman.
Despite his initial reluctance, De Jong is said to have told his teammates that he could now join Man United, but the 20-time English champions will now need to formulate a new bid.
Fuel was added to the fire surrounding De Jong's future when Xavi selected him for the substitutes bench for the weekend's opening La Liga contest with Rayo Vallecano, with Gavi and Pedri preferred alongside Sergio Busquets in the engine room.
De Jong was brought off the bench for the final 30 minutes of that 0-0 draw, and Xavi talked up the importance of the former Ajax man following the game but stopped short of confirming that he would still be at the club at the end of the window.
"He is not a backup [player]. I've already said that. He's an important player," Xavi told reporters. "If he's with us, he's going to be a player who's going to give us something. Even more so with this attitude.
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"It is the same as Auba (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang), he (De Jong) is important for me. He's in the squad and we will use him. I don't know what will happen between now and 31 August, but not just with Frenkie or with Auba, with almost everyone in the squad."
De Jong has amassed 13 goals and 18 assists in 141 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions since his £77m move from Ajax in 2019, winning one Copa del Rey in the process.
Chelsea are rumoured to be waiting in the wings and ready to hijack a move for the Netherlands international, and the expiration of Man United's agreement could provide the Blues with an opportune moment to do so.
Thomas Tuchel had previously played down his side's chances of signing a new midfielder this summer, but it remains to be seen how N'Golo Kante's latest hamstring injury will affect the Blues' transfer plans.
Man United have already signed Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez this summer and are believed to be nearing a £42m agreement to sign Atletico Madrid striker Matheus Cunha.
Having opened the new Premier League season with back-to-back losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and Atletico Madrid, Man United will aim to put their first points on the board when Liverpool make the journey to Old Trafford next Monday.
Ben Knapton
