Manchester United have been dealt another blow in their ongoing pursuit of Frenkie de Jong, according to reports.
The Red Devils have been tracking the Netherlands international for most of the summer, having identified him as their top transfer target.
United have completed the signing of Christian Eriksen on a free transfer, but Erik ten Hag wants to strengthen his midfield ranks further.
That was widely seen as United's main weak point last season, and Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic have departed since then.
It was widely reported last month that United had agreed an initial fee of around £63m for De Jong with Barcelona.
The main sticking point in the deal was the player's desire to remain at the Camp Nou, while it was complicated further by the fact that Barcelona owe De Jong around £14m in deferred salary payments.
However, the saga has taken another dramatic twist after Joan Laporta, the Barcelona president, insisted his club had not accepted any offers for the Dutchman.
"Frenkie de Jong is our player, we really like him," Laporta told ESPN.
"We received some offers for Frenkie but we didn't accept as of now, as we want to talk with him and know exactly what he wants. We need to clarify some aspects of his situation".
Up until now United have not walked away from a deal, with Ten Hag determined to be reunited with a player he worked with at Ajax.
But with the start of the new Premier League campaign a little over a week away, United may soon be forced to turn their attention elsewhere.
The Red Devils ended last season in sixth place and they have ground to make up on the teams that finished above them.
The time may have come for United to admit defeat in their long-running pursuit of De Jong and instead focus on other targets.
