Manchester United bosses fly to Barcelona to push through Frenkie de Jong transfer


Stuart James
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Manchester United chiefs Richard Arnold and John Murtough have flown to Barcelona in an effort to iron out the issues with the Frenkie de Jong deal.

The club's new manager Erik ten Hag has made the signing of the 25-year-old Dutch midfielder his No 1 priority this summer.

United agreed a £46.5 million deal in principal to sign De Jong a fortnight ago but the move has stalled over a contractual issue between the player and the Camp Nou giants.

De Jong agreed to defer his salary during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, with the wages due to be repaid to him over the next four years to help the Catalan club as they struggled financially because of the loss of income.

The player is reluctant to leave Barcelona until he is paid what he feels is due.

But United chief executive Arnold and football director Murtough have now flown to Barcelona to try to break the impasse - rather than travelling with the squad to Thailand for the club's friendly against Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday.

It is reported that they are holding talks with Barca's director of football Mateu Alemany, managing director Rafael Yuste and sporting adviser Jordi Cruyff to try to get the deal done.

Ten Hag was asked about De Jong on Monday as his squad prepared for the meeting with old rivals Liverpool.

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"We know what we want," said Ten Hag. "We only want new players, we want the right new players. My first press conference, I already said definitely we are searching for players in midfield."

After the Liverpool game, United fly to Australia for games against Melbourne Victory on July 15 and Crystal Palace on July 19.

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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company

The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.

He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.

HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon. 

With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.

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What is myofascial pain syndrome?

Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (­connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).

What are trigger points?

Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft ­tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and ­sustained posture are the main culprits in developing ­trigger points.

What is myofascial or trigger-point release?

Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle ­sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in ­connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. ­Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.

Updated: July 12, 2022, 11:48 AM`