Report: United, Barcelona agree to initial €65M fee for De Jong

The odds of Erik ten Hag reuniting with Frenkie De Jong look better than ever.

Manchester United have agreed to pay Barcelona an initial €65 million for the midfielder, according to Rob Dawson of ESPN.

The two sides still need to reach a consensus on performance-based add-ons, which could see the fee rise to more than €80 million. There are also "significant" obstacles remaining in talks between the two clubs, Dawson reports.

Additionally, United will have to negotiate personal terms with De Jong, who's previously said he prefers to stay at Barcelona despite struggling since his arrival in 2019.

However, it's understood that both clubs are increasingly confident that a deal can be completed to reunite De Jong with Ten Hag, who coached the Dutch international for two years during their time at Ajax.

Barcelona are believed to be eager to sell players such as De Jong in an effort to raise funds and reduce their financial restraints. They rejected United's initial offer - worth an initial €60 million with a further €10 million in add-ons - for the 25-year-old earlier this month.

De Jong's potential arrival at Old Trafford would help fill the void left by Paul Pogba, who's set to leave United when his contract expires at the end of June. Midfielder Nemanja Matic also departed after five years as a Red Devil.

De Jong would be Ten Hag's first signing as United boss. The club hopes the Dutch international will be involved in its preseason tour of Thailand and Australia next month, per Dawson.