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Manchester United fans have reacted angrily to the latest update on the club's reported pursuit of Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.
The 25-year-old midfielder has been the subject of relentless transfer speculation this summer, with new Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag reportedly desperate to reunite with his former player. The pair enjoyed great success together at Ajax.
De Jong has enjoyed mixed success at the Camp Nou since his big-money move from the Dutch giants in 2019. But he has been a regular member of Xavi Hernandez's midfield three since the Barca manager took over as manager in November 2021.
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According to SPORT, the Dutch international is upset as he feels he is being pushed out of Catalonia as the club are trying to sell him as they attempt to raise funds to help with their financial crisis.
The report also claims that despite Barca trying to sell him to Manchester United due to his salary increase next season, De Jong has told both clubs that he intends to stay put, as he still has four years left on his current deal.
The news has led to dismay from Red Devils fans, who feel they are chasing a player who doesn't want to play for them. This is a similar situation to how they felt about former player Angel Di Maria, who left after just one season at Old Trafford.
United fans took to Twitter to vent their frustration over De Jong's apparent lack of interest:
Pundit slams Manchester United for not signing Premier League star
According to The Athletic, Leeds United defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips has agreed to join Manchester City, despite reported interest from their closest neighbors United.
The Red Devils are yet to make a signing this summer, with a top-class defensive midfielder top of most fans' wishlists before they head into a new era at Old Trafford.
Former Chelsea forward Tony Cascarino feels Manchester United have missed a trick by not signing Phillips, as the pundit told TalkSPORT:
“I don’t know why Man United have not made a move for Kalvin Phillips. They might say that they tried to and he’d already decided that he was going to City, but he’s exactly what Man United need.
“He might not have wanted to go there, that might be the reason, but there seemingly wasn’t any competition from a club who sorely need that type of player. It’s a huge miss in their team, a ball-winning player who can keep it and let other players do their thing and he does that as well as anybody."
