Frenkie de Jong could be unveiled this weekend by Man United | OneFootball

Frenkie de Jong could be unveiled as a Manchester United player by the weekend, according to a reliable source.

The Dutchman is widely reported to be Erik ten Hag’s top transfer priority for United this summer as he attempts to rebuild a midfield that has lost Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba this month.

Talks have been painstakingly slow between the two clubs but Sky Sports Germany’s Mr Reliable, Florian Plettenburg, claims that the drawn out saga is about to reach a conclusion.

“Update De Jong: Ten Hag wanted him, he will get him!;” Plettenburg tweeted last night.

“The deal is in the final stages. De Jong is on verge to join #MUFC!

“Been told that de Jong could be presented at the weekend. But it’s not 100 % safe right now. There are plans to present him in the stadium.”

The report will be music to the ears of beleaguered United fans who looked set to endure another summer of “will he, won’t he” over the club’s main transfer target.

Complications appeared to be mounting yesterday when Spanish outlet Sport claimed that De Jong was refusing to leave Barça and that he was even thinking of sacking his agent because of the pressure he was putting him under to join the Red Devils.

However, this report was later debunked by The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson.

“De Jong has previously stated contentment at the Catalan club and is thought to have been unsure regarding United lack’s of Champions League football,” Jackson wrote.

“Yet the Guardian understand the 25-year-old is now minded to sign for United and rejoin Ten Hag after working under the Dutchman at Ajax.

“A fee of an initial €65m (£56.2m) plus add-ons that could take it to €85m has been agreed in principle and negotiations are now centred around the player’s personal terms.”

A previous report suggested that those terms will involve a salary of £350,000 per week, which would make him the club’s joint third highest earner with Jadon Sancho (source: spotrac).

If true, this would be a big increase on his current salary of around £282,000 per week (source: Marca).

With De Jong reportedly still on holiday in America, the chances of that weekend unveiling do seem slim, but Plettenburg’s information is usually solid, so there are good grounds for fans to be confident again.

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