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      Man Utd transfer target Frenkie de Jong ‘best player’ on pitch in Barcelona draw but Spanish press still slam him

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      FRENKIE DE JONG was hailed as Barcelona’s best player after their 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano – but the Spanish media still slated the midfielder.De Jong’s been at the centre of a transfer battle between Manchester United and Chelsea this summer.
      De Jong was hailed as Barcelona’s best player during their 0-0 draw with Rayo VallecanoCredit: Getty
      But the Spanish media wanted to know why it’s taken the midfielder three years to start performing with Chelsea and Man United chasing himCredit: Reuters
      Both Prem sides have been keen on recruiting the Dutch ace who hasn’t shared their enthusiasm over a move.
      Despite the Prem pair’s resistance, De Jong’s made it clear he wants to stay with Barca and fight for his place.
      Although he’s embroiled in a wages row with the Catalan giants who are demanding De Jong takes a 50 per cent pay cut if he wants to stay at the Nou camp – which he is allegedly refusing to do.
      But the 25-year-old pushed all his personal issues to the back of his mind when he came on the pitch for Barca on the hour mark on Saturday night.
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      Despite being unable to break the deadlock against Vallecano, former Barca star Luis Garcia reckons De Jong was the club’s best player.
      Garica waxed lyrical after the game: “The best one (on the pitch).
      “I think he showed today, he wanted to show , “listen, I’m here, I wanted to do something, look what I can bring [to] the table.
      “He definitely was one of the best players in the second half.”
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      But the Spanish press weren’t impressed and questioned why De Jong’s hasn’t played at the same level in the past three years.
      Mundo Deportivo wrote: “If Frenkie de Jong ends up leaving for Manchester United or Chelsea in these two remaining weeks of August, one will have to wonder why he did not compete in his first three seasons with the determination he is displaying now.
      “It seems that feeling cornered by the club for financial reasons has freed the best Frenkie de Jong , the one who only saw the light on a few occasions. It’s all or nothing for him, he no longer has anything to lose.”
      However, Barca fans still seem to revere De Jong and gave him a resounding applause when he came on the pitch.
      And Marca suggest the warm gesture shows supporters still want him at the club.
      It’s a far cry from when Barca’s fickle fans were hurling abuse at De Jong just days ago amid his wage dispute. More

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      Juventus closing in on Memphis Depay transfer with striker ‘set to have Barcelona contract terminated’

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      JUVENTUS are reportedly on the verge of signing Memphis Depay on a free transfer from Barcelona.Depay, 28, has been told by Barca chiefs that he is surplus to requirements.
      Depay is set to join Juventus after having his Barcelona contract terminatedCredit: Getty
      The La Liga giants have already stripped the striker of his No.9 shirt following the arrival of Robert Lewandowsi, who joined the club in a £42.5million transfer from Bayern Munich last month.
      And now they are attempting to force him out in order to reduce the wage bill.
      Depay’s representatives are currently attempting to negotiate a deal with club officials which would see his contract terminated.
      He would then have the chance to move elsewhere on a free transfer.
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      According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Dutchman could be on his way to Juventus.
      The Italian giants are currently in talks with Depay and his agent regarding a potential move.
      And the two parties are claimed to be close to reaching a verbal agreement.
      Tottenham were also interested in signing the forward, but Juventus are now clear frontrunners in the transfer race.
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      Depay joined Barcelona last summer and signed a two-year deal upon his arrival.
      He has since scored 13 goals and assisted two in 36 appearances for Xavi’s side.
      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could also be on his way out just eight months after joining the club.
      The former Arsenal striker is being targeted by Chelsea. More

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      Frenkie de Jong ‘has told Barcelona dressing room that he could join Man Utd’ and is ‘very angry’ with Spanish club

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      FRENKIE DE JONG has told the Barcelona dressing room he could join Manchester United, according to reports.And it is said the Dutch midfielder is “very angry” with the Nou Camp club.
      Frenkie de Jong is said to be unhappy with the way Barcelona are treating himCredit: Getty
      De Jong, 25, has been at the centre of the biggest transfer saga of the summer.
      Manchester United have been chasing him all the way through the transfer window before Chelsea looked on course to hijack a possible deal by reportedly agreeing a deal.
      But for most of the summer, De Jong has wanted to stay at Barca.
      However, SPORT in Spain now state the midfielder has admitted to team-mates in the locker room he could be on his way to Old Trafford.
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      De Jong was desperate to play Champions League football this season but could be willing to forgo that demand.
      The ex-Ajax star is still owed millions in unpaid wages which he wants settled before his future is resolved.
      But the report adds he is now growing increasingly furious with the way the club are treating him and putting pressure on him to leave.
      De Jong was given an ultimatum earlier in the summer that he had to take a wage cut or agree to be sold.
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      And now his patience at the club appears to have finally worn out.
      A fee of around £72million has already been agreed between United and Barca, who are keen to sell one of their valuable assets to raise much-needed funds.
      However, personal terms would still need to be sorted.
      The transfer would be a major boost to Red Devils chief Erik ten Hag, who has once again stated his desire for more signings before deadline day.
      And Thomas Tuchel would need to find an alternative central midfielder if he misses out on the 44-cap international – despite looking like a deal was on the verge of being completed.
      As it stands, De Jong is included in the 23-man matchday Barcelona squad to face Rayo Vallecano tonight.
      New arrivals Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen and Raphinha are also involved despite fears over LaLiga registration. More

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      Man Utd to launch new Frenkie de Jong transfer ‘offensive’ this week as Chelsea pull out of race for Barcelona star

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      MANCHESTER UNITED will make another attempt to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona next week, according to reports.The Red Devils have already reached a £72million agreement with Barcelona for the midfielder.
      Man Utd will attempt to complete a deal for De Jong next weekCredit: Getty
      But, De Jong has been reluctant to make the move to Old Trafford because he wants Champions League football.
      Despite the setback, United officials are still confident that they can tempt him to the club.
      Reports claim that new boss Erik ten Hag is prepared to take control of the situation in a bid to complete the deal before Man Utd’s Premier League clash with Liverpool on August 22.
      He is even prepared to organise a face-to-face meeting with the midfielder in an attempt to convince him to make the switch.
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      De Jong has already admitted that he wants to stay at the Nou Camp this season.
      Barcelona currently owe him £17m in unpaid wages so club chiefs are attempting to force him out in a bid to settle any financial differences.
      While De Jong has been stalling on a move to Man Utd, Chelsea have expressed an interest in signing him.
      The Blues reportedly came close to striking a £67.6m deal with Barcelona earlier this week, however, they have since cooled their interest.
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      Thomas Tuchel has his sights set on signing a new striker before the transfer window closes next month.
      Man Utd legend Gary Neville is still optimistic that his former club can push the deal across the line, but he has also suggested that it would be ’embarrassing’ if they don’t.
      When speaking to Football Daily, he said: “If they (United) don’t get him, it’s embarrassing but if he goes to Chelsea, it’s horrific.
      “If he doesn’t want to come the deal would have been switched off a few weeks ago.
      “Because of the relationship the player has with the manager, there must be some communication between them that’s saying, ‘wait for me I’m coming’.” More

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      Barcelona finally register four transfers by selling shares in TV company but no room yet for one huge new signing

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      BARCELONA have managed to register four of their new signings with LaLiga ahead of their opening game – but Jules Kounde still cannot play.The Catalans take on Rayo Vallecano at home on Saturday but faced a race against time to get their recent additions registered.
      Robert Lewandowski and three other of Barcelona’s new signings have been registered for LaLigaCredit: Getty
      The club still need to raise extra capital to get Jules Kounde registeredCredit: Rex
      Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen finally got the green light just 24 hours before kick off.
      However, defender Kounde cannot play as Barcelona still need to free up more of the wage bill in order to get the Frenchman registered before the end of the month.
      The star is still recovering from a pubis operation and was unlikely to feature at the Nou Camp anyway, but the club remain confident they will get it over the line in time.
      Barcelona sold a further 24.5 per cent of Barca Studios today which, after the Spanish League’s Economic Control department reviewed the details, enabled them to confirm the four new players in their squad.
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      And both Sergio Roberto and Ousmane Dembele, who each signed new contracts this summer, were registered aswell.
      The head of the Orpheus Media company, Jaume Roures, that purchased part of Barcelona’s in-house production company had stated he believed the club would be able to field all of their big names.
      He said: “I would not have interrupted my holidays if it were not to ensure that we can see all the best players (in the first game of the season).”
      Barcelona are still trying to bring in extra revenue before the end of the month in order to get Kounde registered.
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      They are also looking to complete a move for Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso.
      Barca are trying to offload more members of the squad to raise more cash.
      And they have also managed to convince Gerard Pique to accept a pay cut while they still try to convince Sergio Busquets and Frenkie De Jong to do the same. More

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      Barcelona living in Never-Never Land as financial mayhem sends once-proud club’s reputation down the pan

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      IF BARCELONA played football in the way they manage their financial affairs, they would soon be in Spain’s fourth tier.The club’s glorious reputation is in decline on the field and already destroyed off it.
      Lewandowski joined Barca despite the club’s financial situationCredit: Getty
      Barca also splashed out on Frenchman Jules KoundeCredit: Rex
      Ex-Leeds ace Raphinha was another summer marquee signingCredit: Rex
      Nou Camp attendances are dropping alarmingly, a position caused partly by the loss of Lionel Messi and other stars but more by the behaviour of its most recent presidents who, it seems, couldn’t run a tapas bar in Las Ramblas.
      These are the chumps who favoured — and still favour — a European Super League, presumably because they reckon it would rescue them from themselves.
      You can see why they are seeking redemption by the way they are conducting their headquarters business.
      No fewer than four first-teamers are arguing they are owed millions of pounds because they agreed to do the club a favour by postponing pay rises.
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      For a reason that is beginning to escape me, one of the quartet, Frenkie de Jong, is hanging on to his job there rather than moving to Manchester United.
      I guess he wants his £17million back-pay first.
      Club president Joan Laporta appears to live in Never-Never Land, a wonderful country where his football team can owe well over £1bn, with a net loss close to half that.
      Imperfect circumstances for the purchase of new players? Not for Laporta who — take a deep breath here — has in this transfer window acquired Brazil ace Raphinha from Leeds, Poland super-scorer Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich and France centre-back Jules Kounde from Sevilla.
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      Andreas Christensen (ex-Chelsea) and Franck Kessie (ex-AC Milan) were free transfers, which doesn’t mean they were free from costs.
      That little lot added up to £117m in transfers and there are a couple of other likely acquisitions, too.
      The structure of the club looks like democracy in action, supporter-members electing a president for five years, Laporta replacing his adversary Josep Bartomeu, who began the madcap  dealings in 2017.
      Theirs isn’t democracy, though. It is much closer to the so-called “constitutional authoritarianism” of former President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines — and not only because his wife Imelda collected expensive shoes like Barca’s bosses collect expensive players.
      No player ever will fill the shoes left by Messi.
      His departure, and the recent failure to win  much while rivals Real Madrid march on to LaLiga and European titles, has now been reflected in Nou Camp attendances falling from 70,000-plus to just 54,000 last  season.
      The pandemic has not helped either.
      An odour of panic hangs over the Nou Camp.
      Laporta and manager Xavi are prepared to pay out-of-proportion sums for the best players and still they are beaten to top whack by Gulf State-sponsored Manchester City and PSG.
      They note, too, that the Premier League is now the world’s biggest domestic competition, able to reach TV contracts beyond those of the leading continental competitors.
      Indeed, this is why the two Spanish giants and Italians Juventus cherish thoughts of the ESL.
      Barcelona are looking for saviours.
      This amounts to borrowing money on a major scale — £550m to restructure debts is a recent loan — but rivals are becoming wary about transfer dealings.
      A former CEO of the club said recently they were “technically bankrupt” while Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann said: “Barcelona, the only club that has no money but then… buys every player they want. I do not know how. It’s kind of weird, kind of crazy.”
      The fall has been traced back to the £200m sale of Neymar to PSG five years ago.
      That money was blown in months and the madness hasn’t stopped.
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      Now waiting in the gloom is the threat of Financial Fair Play.
      It is almost certain they’ve breached the rigid Uefa rules — but we are all wondering if there will be consequences? More

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      Crystal Palace hoping to get Conor Gallagher on loan transfer again if Chelsea steal Frenkie de Jong from Man Utd

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      CRYSTAL PALACE will hold out until near the end of the transfer window to see if they can pick up a bonus loan.The feeling at the South London club is that there could be a number of exciting players available to borrow by then as the bigger boys complete their own summer business.
      Crystal Palace are hoping they can sign Chelsea ace Conor Gallagher on loanCredit: Getty
      Crystal Palace believe Conor Gallagher can rejoin them if Frenkie de Jong signs with ChelseaCredit: Getty
      Conor Gallagher, for example, is one Palace have their eye on should his game time be further impacted at Chelsea if Frenkie de Jong arrives from Barcelona.
      England midfielder Gallagher, 22, shone on loan at Selhurst Park last season, netting eight goals and grabbing three assists in the Premier League.
      It is believed Eagles chief Patrick Vieira would be interested in borrowing him again should the chance arise.
      Ruben Loftus-Cheek is another Chelsea player and former Palace loanee who may be of interest if the Blues are willing to farm him out.
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      But SunSport understands Palace are not interested in borrowing Gallagher and Loftus-Cheek’s club-mate Callum Hudson-Odoi.
      While a move to bring back academy product Aaron Wan-Bissaka on loan from Manchester United looks increasingly unlikely, following the arrival of Chris Richards from Bayern Munich.
      Palace feel they have enough cover at right-back now with Nathaniel Clyne, Joel Ward, Nathan Ferguson and Richards.
      A new striker is also not thought to be on the agenda, despite Christian Benteke moving to DC United, the MLS side managed by Wayne Rooney.
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      De Jong continues to pose as a top target for Chelsea and United, who are looking to strengthen in midfield.
      However, Barcelona don’t seem keen on selling him despite their financial woes. More

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      Barcelona ‘must pay Ousmane Dembele HALF of transfer fee if sold’ with new release clause at £42MILLION after pay cut

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      BARCELONA will reportedly have to pay Ousmane Dembele HALF of any transfer fee should they sell him within the next two years.The French star, who had been linked with Chelsea, looked set to depart the Nou Camp this summer after an injury ravaged five years there since joining from Borussia Dortmund.
      New details of Ousmane Dembele’s Barcelona contract have been revealedCredit: Rex
      However, he ended speculation over his future by recently penning a new two-year contract rather than leaving as a free agent in June.
      Now Spanish publication Sport have released details of his mega new package.
      The 25-year-old will allegedly earn around £17million a year.
      Dembele will pocket at least £13.5m gross for each year of his contract and could net a further £3.4m through bonuses each campaign.
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      That means that the attacker could earn nearly £34m across his contract over the next two seasons.
      And the ex-Rennes player will also receive 50 percent of any transfer fee should he be sold – with his contract including a release clause of £42m.
      That could tempt Dembele to leave before the end of his contract with the potential to bank an extra £21m on top of his salary.
      Dembele cost Barcelona a whopping £120m back in 2017 but he has struggled to make an impact due to a number of injury problems.
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      However, his form improved following the arrival of Xavi in the dug-out as he produced a goal and 13 assists in 15 LaLiga starts under the Spaniard last term.
      He has continued his good form into pre-season, and Xavi was full of praise for the ace after he bagged a brace in a recent friendly against Juventus.
      He said: “He has shown what he is capable of. He is different, special.
      “There are not many of this type. He gives us a lot with the way we play.
      “Not everyone has the ability to make a difference in the world of soccer and he does. He is involved and he shows it.
      “I don’t know the Dembele from before November, I don’t know him. I am very happy with this one.” More