© Reuters
It's one of the most high profile transfer sagas of the summer window so far. Dutch midfield maestro Frenkie de Jong is being hailed as the marquee signing of the new Erik ten Hag era at Manchester United.
As is often the case with such transfers, coming to an agreement over a player is not so straightforward. This deal looks to be blowing hot and cold and is in danger of stalling. So what needs to click in place to see De Jong in a United shirt?
Reaching an agreement between clubs is the first sticking point, but a number of top tier outlets have already stated that a fee has already been met in principle.
Barcelona are not often termed as a "selling club", meaning they usually keep the best of the best and choose to sell who they want, when they want. The Catalan club have been in well published financial difficulties in recent times. They are looking to offload De Jong to bring in fresh talent.
A reported €65 million (£55 million) deal with potential additions is said to have been agreed, but with Manchester United officials flying out to Barcelona just this week it leaves this in doubt.
Another potential sticking point is what is owed to De Jong personally. De Jong agreed to a deferring of wages last season, in order for Barcelona to meet financial regulations regarding net spend and wage bills in La Liga.
This enabled the player to remain at Barcelona, but it is understood the Dutchman is owed over an additional €15 million by the club over the remainder of his contract.
De Jong's contract runs for another four years and the question of this backpay is said to be a significant sticking point for both club and player. United will have to fix this issue if they are to complete a deal. These funds could be factored into a new fee.
The Dutchman's agents who also represent a number of United players, including recent arrival Tyrell Malacia, Donny van de Beek and Victor Lindelöf, will look to press this issue significantly.
De Jong is an acolyte of new United manager Erik ten Hag. He was a key component of ten Hag's double winning side of 2018-19, which also saw the club reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
A move to Old Trafford could see the Dutchman reunited with his former midfield partner from that season, Donny van de Beek. The two came up through the ranks at the famed Ajax academy.
It looks likely that De Jong would favour a move to Manchester over other options such as Chelsea. However, it has been made clear that De Jong has no intention of leaving Catalonia at all.
Stalling negotiations and quarrels over backpay are just two major issues that have led bookmakers offering odds on the transfer of De Jong to drift significantly.
Transfer specials offered by betting sites bring great interest during the off-season. Sports Betting 101 by BetBlazers.com offers beginners the chance to understand the very basics of online sports betting for such occasions.
Another factor that needs to be taken into consideration for those tracking the De Jong saga for a bet or not is the domino effect. Transfers, especially of such stature, do not often occur in isolation.
United and Barcelona are clubs in flux and are looking to strengthen for a renewed era to climb back to the top. De Jong's compatriot Tyrell Malacia remains United's only signing so far this summer, with Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen said to be in progress.
Barcelona have already brought in the likes of AC Milan's Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen. Offloading a number of players such as Phillipe Coutinho to Aston Villa and Clement Lenglet to Spurs has put them in the green when it comes to net spend.
More will have to be done though to balance their books when it comes to their wage bill. Recent arrival Raphinia from Leeds United is just one more signing, with the Catalans looking to bring in Bayern Munich heavyweight Robert Lewandowski.
Agreeing terms on De Jong's transfer could signify a flurry of action throughout Europe. Or it could happen the opposite way entirely. The more Barcelona bring in, the bigger the pressure will be to secure the breathing room to register their new arrivals.
With De Jong's salary one of the most significant at the club, it could be the tipping point that United need to get this deal done.
