Manchester United have to meet a new transfer deadline for their midfield

The Manchester Evening News might have done the Manchester United communications department's job for them if Barcelona fail to cram Frenkie de Jong into a crate addressed to M16. A feature on Zidane Iqbal in January detailed how the 19-year-old studies De Jong.

"We have faith in the young players who have excelled on the tour and Zidane models his game on De Jong. Zidane also wants to play for the club." It is a believable script.

What is surreal about United's pursuit of De Jong is they maintain they are targeting a player who wants to play for them. All evidence points to the contrary. "I prefer to stay," De Jong said in May. He called Barcelona his "dream club" in June.

Also read: Ten Hag's early decisions are already benefiting some United players

Privately, sources close to Barcelona players also say De Jong does not want to go. Yet United are emboldened enough to have entered a 10th week of discussions to sign him and their chief executive flew to Barcelona last week, having suggested he would not get involved during a session with fans at a pub.

David Moyes received encouragement during the Cesc Fabregas ordeal as Fabregas was in dialogue with his old Arsenal teammate Robin van Persie, stressing his desire to join United.

The advantage Erik ten Hag has with De Jong is he already has a relationship with the player. Moyes didn't, which always made an agreement for Fabregas fanciful.

Yet De Jong is still a Barcelona player. If he truly wanted to be a United player, he would have been one by now and if he remains in Catalonia this will have been a far greater embarrassment for United than the Fabregas farce.

United no longer abide by the well-intended recruitment reboot they initiated three years ago. That placed an