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Manchester United are reportedly the leading contenders to sign Frenkie de Jong should he leave FC Barcelona.
Ever since Erik ten Hag joined the club in the 2022, United have been repetitively linked to Dutch and former Ajax players.
These rumours are not unfounded as they have signed Lisandro Martinez, Antony, Andre Onana, Matthjs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, who are all former Ajax players who have plied their trade under Ten Hag before.
Strangely, the name who has been most heavily linked to the Old Trafford club is a player who has not joined, Frenkie de Jong.
The Red Devils agreed a fee with Barcelona in 2022 for his services but no move was finalised due to his reluctance to leave Catalonia.
Nonetheless, times have changed and the Dutchman is very much on the chopping block at the Camp Nou. Fichajes report that “Frenkie de Jong, Barcelona’s key midfielder, could be living out his final months at the Blaugrana club.”
Barcelona need the player to reduce his salary if he were to stay at the Camp Nou and if he continues to refuse, they will want to sell him this summer, instead of letting him leave on a free in 2026.
In that context, “Manchester United, who have already tried to sign De Jong in the past, seem to be the main candidate to get his services.”
It is reported that De Jong is reaching a critical fork in the road of his career as “although his link with Barcelona is strong, the interest of Manchester United and the need for the club to make strategic decisions could mark the end of his time as a Barça player in the near future.”
Interestingly, it is also noted that “everything points to him leaving the club in the next summer transfer market.”
United have already spent lavishly on the midfield area since Ten Hag became manager. Manuel Ugarte was the latest expensive recruit this summer, but it can be safely argued that none of the midfielders brought in fill the role or have the playing style of De Jong, both of which the manager clearly desired in 2022.
Nonetheless, two potential obstacles to any such deal could be the Dutchman’s wretched injury history as of late, missing 260 days of the last two seasons, and the fact there seems a very small chance Ten Hag will still be coach by the summer, as his side currently lie 14th in the table.
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