Man Utd have 'agreement in place' to sign £72m star at Old Trafford

Manchester United have ‘an agreement in place’ to sign Frenkie de Jong but they, along with Barcelona, are struggling to convince the midfielder to make the switch to Old Trafford, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

The Red Devils may have missed out on Champions League qualification, after finishing sixth in the Premier League last season, but new boss Erik ten Hag is working around the clock to add fresh faces to his squad.

According to The Athletic, Manchester United have agreed an initial fee of £63million with Barcelona for the transfer of de Jong.

The report suggests the Red Devils could end up forking out as much as £72million after potential add-ons included in the offer for the 44-cap Netherlands international are taken into account.

However, it is understood that Manchester United are struggling to get a deal over the line while Barcelona are refusing to pay de Jong the £14.5million he is owed following the restructuring of his contract.

An additional problem the Red Devils are facing is that the 25-year-old reportedly has no interest in completing the switch and, ideally, wants to remain at the Nou Camp.

Spanish sources have revealed that de Jong would prefer to join Manchester United’s Premier League rivals Chelsea or reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich if he were to leave Barcelona.

While Barcelona president Joan Laporta has claimed that the club has not accepted any offers for de Jong, Romano understands that is not the case.

The transfer guru is aware that Manchester United have met the La Liga giants’ asking price and are attempting to persuade the Dutchman to sign on the dotted line.

Romano told GIVEMESPORT: “Let’s see if Manchester United and Barcelona, together, will be able to change