Manchester United will likely pursue Ruben Neves if their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong ultimately fails, but landing the Wolves star could cost the Red Devils even more money.
Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, has identified De Jong as his top summer target. De Jong is viewed as the ideal solution given the fact that United’s midfield lacks both control and balance.
However, reaching an agreement on a contract for the Dutch midfielder has been a difficult and drawn-out process.
Indeed, the saga is far from over, with an initial fee of around £57 million finally agreed upon with Barcelona. This is because the player is still owed around £14.4m (€17m) in deferred wages, and leaving for United could result in him breaching the contract.
The situation is certainly complicated, but Xavi and Barcelona are doing everything they can to persuade De Jong to leave.
Ten Hag, on the other hand, is unwavering in his pursuit of De Jong. He is so desperate to sign him that United’s manager has put other transfer plans on hold.
However, it appears that Ten Hag is considering alternatives if the move fails.
To that end, Fabrizio Romano claims that if De Jong fails, United will consider two other options.
