Tottenham under pressure to meet huge price for long-term Man Utd target as PSG plan for life after Mbappe

Tottenham Hotspur will need to significantly improve their offer for long-term Man Utd target Frenkie de Jong to persuade Barcelona to sell the midfielder, it has been claimed.

Reports this week have suggested that De Jong has emerged as a target for Tottenham, who are preparing a bid potentially as high as €70million (£59.9m) for the Dutch international.

Fabrizio Romano, the renowned transfer expert, appeared to shoot down those rumours by claiming Barcelona “still believe” in De Jong – frequently linked with a move to the Premier League with Man Utd over recent years – and “will try to extend his contract in the next few months.”

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Romano also claimed there is no indication that De Jong wants to leave Barcelona and that he is unaware of any bids from Tottenham – but teased that the situation “could change” if the 26-year-old cannot agree a new contract with his current club.

De Jong’s existing deal at the Camp Nou is due to expire in 2026, having arrived at Barcelona from Ajax in the summer of 2019.

A conflicting report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, however, has claimed De Jong “would be open to listening to offers” in the summer with Barcelona now edging towards selling him.

Stalled Barcelona talks could ‘open door’ to Spurs to move for De Jong

The report claims De Jong has stalled on signing a contract extension, having been offered a new deal – but, crucially, on reduced terms – three weeks ago.

It is said that De Jong must reduce his wages if he is to stay at Barcelona to align with the new salary system in place at the club, with Catalan giants set to “open the doors” to an exit if he does not agree to the deal.

That could allow Spurs – who have already “shown their interest” in De Jong – to make a move, but the Premier League side will need to commit to a fee of €100m (£85.5m) to convince Barcelona to sell.

Such an eye-watering price tag could attract the interest of Paris Saint-Germain, who are likely to be active in the summer market to strengthen their squad following the probable departure of Kylian Mbappe.

It emerged this week that Mbappe has informed PSG of his desire to leave the club at the end of the season, with Real Madrid long regarded as his most likely destination.

PSG would easily be able to meet Barcelona’s asking price for De Jong as well as the his current wage, making a switch to the Parc des Princes potentially attractive to the midfielder.

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