Talk of De Jong to United is not going away.
The football season has only just finished, but it’s already starting to feel like Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United is shaping up to be *the* transfer saga of the summer.
The rumour writes itself: United, with Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, and others already on their way out of the door, need a midfielder or two (or five).
Erik ten Hag, who worked with De Jong at Ajax, is keen on a reunion. On top of this, Barcelona’s precarious financial position means they may have little choice but to accept a decent offer if one comes their way.
According to Sport (via Sport Witness), such a bid from United could now be imminent.
United ‘very close’ to De Jong agreement.
The Barcelona-based outlet claims United began work on a potential deal for De Jong before the season ended, with Barca making it clear they would be open to selling the Dutch international for a fee of €80m (£68m).
An agreement is now said to be ‘very close’ between the two clubs.
Convincing Barca to sell, however, may be the easy part as far as United are concerned.
The same report claims the final say on a move will be made by De Jong himself, who is thought to prefer moving to a club that will be in the Champions League next season.
This, after their disastrous season, would appear to rule United out.
The presence of Ten Hag at Old Trafford could therefore prove crucial in persuading him to make the move.
Ten Hag could be the decisive factor.
Sport say Ten Hag is ‘seducing’ De Jong with his project in Manchester. The 25-year-old played a key role for Ten Hag in the Ajax side which made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League three years ago and the newly appointed United boss is thought to be prioritising his signing.
The chance to play under him again – and possibly alongside former teammate Donny van de Beek – may be enough to to tempt him.
Mundo Deportivo seem to think the same. A report by them (again, via Sport Witness) claims that, despite De Jong’s reservations, his old boss is confident he can convince him to join him.
The same report does mention that Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain are also in the frame, which could spell trouble for Ten Hag.
Buckle in. We’ve almost certainly not heard the last of this one.
