Manchester United would be at the “front of the queue” should Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong become available in the summer transfer window, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth revealed to GIVEMESPORT.
De Jong was linked with a move to Old Trafford ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, having previously worked under Erik ten Hag at Ajax.
Manchester United transfer news – Frenkie De Jong
One of United’s primary summer targets, Dutch international De Jong looked set to swap Barcelona for Manchester, with a reported £63 million move agreed between the two clubs (The Athletic).
Of course, it was a deal which ultimately fell through, despite the United hierarchy’s best efforts in persuading De Jong to sign.
It’s claimed United sent a delegation to Barcelona in a bid to sway De Jong’s decision, with the pair holding extensive face-to-face talks over the summer.
Richard Arnold and John Murtough, the club’s chief executive officer and football director, were amongst the United officials that travelled to Catalonia for talks which ultimately rendered unsuccessful.
However, despite the summer setback, United have remained interested in De Jong’s services, with another attempted move on the cards at the end of the season.
According to a report in The Guardian, United will reignite their interest in De Jong, as ten Hag looks to further bolster his midfield options.
It’s claimed a centre-forward is United’s main priority in the upcoming summer window, but the report states the Red Devils will target De Jong, should he become available.
What has Dharmesh Sheth said about De Jong to United?
Speaking in an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports reporter Sheth hinted a move to Stretford could be on the cards for De Jong.
On the Barcelona midfielder, Sheth said: “It’s going to depend on Barcelona’s finances as well. I don’t know how many levers they’ve got left to pull with regard to their finances, but not getting through into the Champions League knockout stages and then getting knocked out of the Europa League in the last 32, which meant no European football in February.
“It’s unheard of really for Barcelona and unacceptable for Barcelona, but it will have a knock-on effect on their finances as well given all of the problems that they’ve had. It will be very interesting to see whether they will be forced to go into some kind of sale for the likes of Frenkie De Jong and other players at the club.
“And if Frenkie De Jong becomes available, I’m sure Man United will be at the head of that queue.”
What would De Jong offer United’s midfield?
As demonstrated in their recent drubbing against rivals Liverpool, United lost complete control of the match, with Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Fred, amongst others, failing to take control of the midfield battle.
The visitors completed just 71% of their passes (FotMob) during the 90 minutes at Anfield, indicating an added touch of quality is still needed if United are going to take their game to the next level.
Having worked under ten Hag at Ajax, De Jong is accustomed to the Dutch manager’s methods and would likely slide straight into United’s current system.
A natural with the ball at his feet, De Jong averages over 65 passes per 90 minutes, with over seven of those successful in progressing the attack closer to goal (FBref).
What’s more, De Jong has also proven himself as a threat in front of goal, with the 25-year-old averaging over 3.30 shot-creating actions each match, according to FBref.
