Manchester United and Frenkie de Jong saga to continue, Bellingham also a target

Think the Frenkie de Jong saga is over at Man United? Think again. ESPN's Insider Notebook has the latest.

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Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong remains on Manchester United's transfer wish list, sources told ESPN, while Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham will also be central to United's transfer plans next summer.

Despite strong interest from United, De Jong remained at Barcelona during the transfer window, saying he never wanted to leave the Spanish giants. But sources told ESPN that United manager Erik ten Hag isn't put off by the 25-year-old's public stance and won't rule out the possibility of making another bid next summer. There is still a feeling at Old Trafford that De Jong could leave Barcelona in the future and he could be convinced to move to Manchester where he'd reunite with his former Ajax manager Ten Hag.

United agreed the framework of a deal with Barcelona in the summer but negotiations stalled over United's reluctance to cover deferred wages owed to De Jong.

— Insight: Where should Bellingham go?

«I always wanted to stay at Barcelona and this is why I always remained calm in the summer,» he said. «I can't give too much details away. The club has it's own ideas and I have my own ideas too. And sometimes this clashes with each other. But at the end of the day things went OK.»

Bellingham is set to be one of the most sought after players in Europe next summer, and Dortmund are likely to demand a huge transfer fee for the England international, whose contract runs out