Manchester United may have to make “a straight decision” between signing Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong or Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, according to The Independent.

Both players are believed to be targets for the Red Devils, but Erik ten Hag’s side won’t have the budget to sign the pair of them in future transfer windows.

United agreed to pay €85m (£74.5m) for de Jong in the summer, only for the player to remain at Barca. A move could be revived in January, though, with the midfielder not happy with his manager’s plans to play him in central defence.

The alternative would be to wait until the end of the season when Bellingham would become available, but it has been claimed that Dortmund will demand €150m (£131.5m) for the teenager.

Even if the price of the two players does come down somewhat, United do have priorities in other positions, with a striker being the main focus. For that reason, ten Hag will need to decide which to go after.

There will likely be less competition for de Jong, with Chelsea expected to be their main rival, while Bellingham is being pursued by the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester City.