Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists they do not want to sell midfielder Frenkie de Jong despite Manchester United being poised to clinch a £56million deal.

United are keen to reunite the 25-year-old with his former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag following his arrival at Old Trafford this summer and positive progress has been made in talks with the Catalan club.

However, Laporta insists a player who moved to the Nou Camp in 2019 on a five-year contract is not for the sale but the club’s much-publicised financial difficulties mean the possibility still remains.

“He’s a Barcelona player and, unless we are interested in selling him in the future, he’s a Barcelona player. We don’t want to sell him,” Laporta said at a press conference to introduce new signing Franck Kessie.

“We know he has offers. We don’t want to sell right now, but it could interest us.”