Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong could be "leaning towards" leaving Barcelona to move to Old Trafford this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

De Jong still has four years left on his contract at the Nou Camp, but United are pushing to entice him away from the Catalan giants.

What's the latest news involving de Jong?

United have identified de Jong as a transfer target to try to solve the midfield issues which have caused problems for the team in recent years.

Sky Sports have claimed that the Red Devils are currently locked in talks with Barcelona over the 25-year-old Dutchman as they try to convince their counterparts to sell de Jong for a reasonable price.

Meanwhile, de Jong has indicated that he is perfectly happy staying at Barcelona, after recently calling them "the biggest club in the world".

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What has Sheth said about de Jong's future?

Barcelona's financial issues have been well-documented, with it being reported that they will need to sell players this summer.

This suggests that de Jong could be offloaded, and Sheth thinks the player would consider a move away, but he is speaking about Barcelona in glowing terms to keep them on side, in case he ends up staying in Spain.

Talking to GIVEMESPORT about de Jong's situation, Sheth said: “As far as de Jong is concerned, publicly, I’m sure the noises will be that he’s happy at Barcelona. There’s no reason not to say that because if the move doesn’t work out, and he said he wanted to leave, it doesn’t leave him in a very good position.

“But, I think, the noises we’re hearing is that there’s a willingness from all parties to do a deal. The fact that Erik ten Hag is at Manchester United, he’s their new manager and they’ve worked very closely together, and arguably he’s had the best form of his career under that manager. I think there is maybe a leaning towards ‘yes’ – he would be open to making that move to Old Trafford.”

Will United manage to tempt de Jong to Old Trafford?

United have watched their rivals make early moves in the transfer window, with Manchester City signing Erling Haaland, and Liverpool wrapping up a deal for Darwin Nunez.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have also been busy bringing in Ivan Perisic, and they are on the verge of signing highly-rated midfielder Yves Bissouma from Brighton.

United may be slightly concerned that things are taking longer with de Jong, but they do seem to be making progress at last.

Sport via the Manchester Evening News have reported that United and Barcelona have entered into "final negotiations", although they still need to agree on a fee for the £54m-rated deep-lying playmaker.

The 13-time Premier League champions have had to wait patiently, but it appears that they could finally get their man soon, and this could be the lift they need to go on and revamp their squad this summer.