Before the transfer season shuts, Manchester United hopes to add a new midfield player to their roster.

Manuel Ugarte of Paris Saint-Germain has been linked to the Red Devils in recent weeks, but the demands of the French champions may make a deal difficult to complete.

Despite Joao Neves’ recent arrival, Les Parisiens are still planning to offer the former Sporting CP player in the region of £60 million, and they have no intention of lowering their price.

The Red Devils may have to consider other possibilities as a result, and according to Sport today (page 6), the team may try again to sign Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.

According to reports, United would “spare no effort” to attempt and get the international player from the Netherlands, but they will have a difficult time convincing De Jong to leave the Catalan giants.

Two years ago, the former Ajax player declined the opportunity to join United.

De Jong, who is presently recovering from an ankle injury sustained during the previous season, has two years remaining on his lucrative contract. Barcelona is willing to sell him for £51 million.

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The team has to make a sizable sale in order to reinstate the 1:1 spending cap.

De Jong joining United would be the “icing on the cake,” according to Sport.

De Jong is unlikely to sign with United for a number of reasons.

Erik ten Hag, the manager of United, was keen to get back again with De Jong in 2022. Barcelona and the team came to an agreement, but the midfield player wouldn’t talk conditions.

The 27-year-old has never expressed a desire to leave the Spanish powerhouses, and in our opinion, it is unlikely that he will consider doing so during the current transfer window.

First of all, he hasn’t returned to team training yet as he recovers from an ankle injury.

United might not be concerned about the cost, but his pay could be a major roadblock.

The Dutchman currently makes a base wage of about £406,000 a week at Barcelona, but if he were to sign with another team before the deadline, he might ask for a boost.

The Red Devils might not find this to be feasible. With a weekly salary of £350,000, Casemiro earns the most, followed by Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, who all make £300,000.

The club might find it difficult to pay De Jong, who manager Xavi called “world-class,” if they are unable to cut Casemiro off their payroll.

United is unlikely to sign the Dutch midfielder this summer due to a number of obstacles.