Even so, Erik ten Hag's side has been unable to persuade the Netherlands international to leave Camp Nou due to a bitter wage dispute. While Barcelona's financial woes worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, De Jong was one of several players who agreed to defer his pay, and he is now suing for the money owed to him. It is believed that the Red Devils and Barcelona have reached an agreement for a £63 million contract, with the possibility of add-ons raising the total to £71 million.
De Jong is allegedly owed up to €18m (£15.1m) by the Catalan giants, who are desperate to offload the ex-Ajax man to help balance the books, but he is refusing to budge. Barcelona, however, may now take another dramatic turn in the situation, according to The Athletic, who claims that the Blaugrana have discussed criminal action over De Jong's contract.
