Manchester United club bosses scuppered a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong because they had doubts about his price tag.
According to AD.nl via Sport Witness, United bosses, by their own admission, acknowledge that they botched a deal for the player by not acting quickly and decisively.
Algemeen Dagblad reports: “Talks between the club and their agents ‘went smoothly and it became clear how much it would cost to sign him, in terms of transfer price, salary demand and bonuses, before the June internationals.’
“But the final step was not taken by the higher-ups at Manchester United, partly due to doubts about his price.”
“This led to one postponement after another, much to Ten Hag’s frustration.”
“By June 14 there is still no final agreement between the clubs and when the midfielder returns from his holiday a few weeks later, ‘it seems precious time has been wasted’.”
After multiple postponements by the Red Devils and those negotiating the transfer, De Jong and his representatives decided to intensify their efforts to guarantee his permanence at Barcelona.
“Manchester United were left with the feeling that if they had been more ‘decisive’ in the spring, they would have gotten their man.”
According to the report, this was not the only United deal whose actions left those at the top of the hierarchy regretting their approach.
“In fact, there was a feeling that they ‘came to the table’ too late for a number of players, including those who managed to sign, like Antony and Lisandro Martinez”.
This aligns with the thoughts and opinions of many supporters who felt the club paid too much for the two former Ajax stars.
De Jong’s mistake, if this report is anything to go by, was of course a massive failure on the part of the Glazers, who again failed to make another manager their primary target due to their stingy tendencies and indecisiveness.
