Barcelona threatening legal action against Man Utd transfer target Frenkie de Jong over trying to get him to slash wages

's David Ornstein tweeted: "Barcelona told Frenkie de Jong on July 15 they have evidence of criminality around contract given by old board + cause for legal action vs all involved.

"FC Barcelona asked him to annul deal & revert to previous terms."

Man Utd had an offer accepted for De Jong last month, but the player's reluctance to join Old Trafford and outstanding payments he is owed by Barcelona - reported to be £14.5m - stopped the deal from going through.

And now there are reports that after United's offer had been accepted by the club, Barca then wrote to De Jong telling him there was evidence of criminal actions in the contract renewal he signed on October 20, 2020.

The two-year contract extension - taking him up to 2026 - reduced his salary for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons in order to alleviate Barca's financial problems.

This left £15.2million to be paid to De Jong across the following four seasons of his deal.

Gerard Pique, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Clement Lenglet also signed similar contracts to reduce the club's wage bill.

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Barca now want De Jong to revert to the terms of the agreement which he originally signed in January 2019.

Dialogue between the club and player is also said to have included claims that De Jong's representatives may be implicated in the alleged criminality.

The previous management led by president Josep Bartomeu, who was replaced last year, believe the contract renewal was completely legal.

SunSport have approached De Jong's representatives for comment.

Meanwhile, reports of legal action potentially being taken come just hours after current president Joan Laporta insisted De Jong wants to stay at the Nou Camp.

He said: "He [De Jong] is a Barca player of great quality and we want him to stay.

"He has offers but we want him to stay and he wants to stay too."