Man Utd now 'confident' of signing £68m star 'soon' at Old Trafford

Manchester United are ‘confident’ of signing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

The Red Devils have been credited with an interest in the Netherlands international in recent weeks and now appear closer than ever to securing their transfer target.

According to The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell, United’s ‘main focus’ in the early stages of the transfer window has been to secure a deal for De Jong.

The 25-year-old previously distanced himself from a move to Old Trafford in an interview with ESPN, insisting that Barca is his ‘dream club’, yet Whitwell claims he has ‘given private indication’ that a switch now appeals to him.

It’s claimed that the main sticking point hindering any potential deal is De Jong’s €80 million (£68m) price tag as United are hesitant to instantly stump up the Blaugrana’s asking price.

Barcelona are in a dire financial situation, and the 20-time English champions don’t want to be their bailout, choosing to negotiate the best price for themselves instead.

De Jong’s arrival at United would see him reunited with former manager Erik ten Hag and ex-teammate Donny van de Beek, who all enjoyed a successful time together at Ajax.

Ousmane Dembele WILL WIN BALLON D’OR at Chelsea! Hear more on The Football Terrace…

And Crook has revealed that he believes that deal ‘will happen now’, with United’s hierarchy eager to get it over the line ‘sooner rather than later’.

He told GiveMeSport: “I think that will happen now. From what I’m told, United have really made that their main priority, and they’re confident as well. I think they want to get it done sooner rather than later.”

With Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic all departing on free transfers, it’s