Despite Frenkie de Jong's unwillingness to leave Barcelona, Manchester United will not give up on their pursuit of the dutchman

Despite issues with the transaction and reservations over Frenkie de Jong's desire to come to Old Trafford, Manchester United won't give up on their pursuit of the Holland star.

United and Barcelona have reached an agreement on a cost of £63 million, with the possibility of a further £8.5 million in add-ons.

The holdup, according to United, is due to De Jong's £17 million in unpaid pay from Barcelona, not the player's reluctance to transfer to England.

Some United supporters have been alarmed by De Jong's repeated statements that he would like to stay at the Nou Camp. Barcelona has made it obvious that he must be sold in order to pay for further transfers, and they may even decide to omit him from this weekend's preseason tour.

It is believed that United would continue to pursue the 25-year-old midfielder even after the new season has begun. September 1 marks the end of the transfer window.

United recognizes that they may have to concede defeat on signing De Jong and have a number of alternatives in mind, including Wolves' Ruben Neves. Wolves are willing to sell the Portuguese midfielder this summer because he has two years remaining on his contract and is unlikely to sign a new one.

The Molineux club values Neves at around £70 million, which no club has yet to match.

However, they understand that selling Neves is the simplest way to provide funds for boss Bruno Lage to make the changes he desires.

 

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Manchester United Confirm The Signing Of Christian Eriksen

 Christian Eriksen will not join the rest of the club's pre-season tour of Australia, which only has a week left, and will instead work on his fitness at Carrington.

'Manchester United is a special club, and I can't wait to get started,' Eriksen said. I've had the privilege of playing at Old Trafford numerous times, but doing so in the red shirt of Manchester United will be an incredible feeling.' I've seen Erik's work at Ajax and am aware of the level of detail and planning that he and his team put in every day. He is clearly an excellent coach.

'After speaking with him and learning more about his vision and how he wants the team to play, I am even more excited about the future.' I still have big goals in the game, there's so much I know I can do, and this is the perfect place to continue my journey.'

Eriksen's move to Old Trafford completes a remarkable comeback after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch during the European Championships just 13 months ago.

During his recovery, the former Tottenham and Inter Milan playmaker trained with his old club Ajax, where Ten Hag was in charge, before spending the second half of last season at Brentford.

It was enough to persuade United, who have had a long-standing interest in Eriksen for a number of years, that he could play at the highest level again, while Ten Hag was also impressed by what he saw.

Eriksen chose United over a return to Brentford earlier this summer, but due to the heart problem, he had to undergo a more stringent medical before signing as a free agent.

'Christian has been one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe throughout his career,' said United's football director John Murtough. It's no surprise that he had so many options this summer, so we're thrilled that he decided this is the right club for him.

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Ajax are pursuing £25 million Rangers defender Calvin Bassey

 

Ajax have joined the race to sign Rangers defender Calvin Bassey this summer, with numerous Premier League clubs also interested.

Brighton are also interested in the 22-year-old, and both clubs are said to have made bids for the versatile Bassey, though none have yet been accepted by Rangers.

Rangers have charged £25 million for Bassey, who is equally comfortable and effective at left-back and center-back, two positions Martinez has played for Ajax.

Bassey has also been linked with Aston Villa, who are now managed by his former Liverpool manager Steven Gerrard.

The Nigerian international has won several man-of-the-match awards, including the Europa League final against Frankfurt and Rangers' Scottish Cup final victory over Hearts.

Rangers manager Giovanni Van Bronckhorst is a big fan of the versatile left-back and praised his progress last season.

'Of course, the development of Calvin Bassey last season was fantastic,' Van Bronckhorst said during Gers' pre-season tour.

He has the potential to be very good. I'll never forget the first game we played away at Hibs, when he had to come in because Leon Balogun was injured.

'When he came in, the first thing he did was press in midfield, and he's a serious physical presence.' I saw him at the training ground the next day and remembered that action, so I told him, 'That is what I want from you when you play for us.' He's incredible. Bassey is a player in the early stages of his career, but he is also open to coaching. He wants to grow, and hopefully we can keep him here for a while longer because his development will take a couple of years longer before he is ready to join a new team.

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