Manchester United’s interest in Frenkie de Jong remains “strong,” and Barcelona has reportedly assigned a price for the Dutch midfielder.
In 2022, Erik ten Hag’s inaugural summer at Old Trafford, the Red Devils were heavily associated with the 27-year-old; however, he declined their offers.
De Jong has been repeatedly associated with Manchester United. Ten Hag is a great admirer of his, and the two collaborated effectively during their tenure at Ajax.
Barcelona has’set a price’ for De Jong to depart, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes, in an effort to generate funds to alleviate their ongoing financial difficulties.
According to reports, the Catalans are amenable to selling De Jong for €70 million (£58.4 million / $75.8 million). The midfielder’s sale appears to be “closer than ever” as a result of financial constraints. The report implies that the Dutch international will be on his way to Old Trafford next season if Man Utd are able to match Barcelona’s price demands.
De Jong is reportedly dedicated to ensuring that his tenure at Barcelona is effective, according to a separate report from SPORT. However, the LaLiga giants may still attempt to transfer him.
According to reports, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich have all expressed interest in him, and Paris Saint-Germain is also monitoring his situation.
READ MORE: European powerhouse seeks summer signing from Manchester United, but with one stipulation
Manchester United may eliminate two midfielders.
Man Utd may be in the market for another new midfielder next summer, despite the recent signing of Manuel Ugarte.
As previously stated, the leadership of the Red Devils is eager to remove several undesirable players from their roster, and Casemiro is at the top of their list.
At Manchester United, the 32-year-old earns an astonishing £350,000 per week, and his teammates at Old Trafford are of the opinion that his on-field accomplishments do not correspond with his salary.
The Saudi Pro League has expressed interest in Casemiro, and Manchester United are currently in the process of selling him.
Christian Eriksen, another midfielder, is also confronted with an ambiguous future, as his current contract is set to expire at the conclusion of the season.
Manchester United has not yet determined whether to renew his contract; however, his present exceptional performance is undoubtedly advantageous.
Eriksen was personally queried regarding his future prior to United’s Europa League match against Fenerbahce on Thursday. The former Tottenham player acknowledged that this is somewhat beyond his control.
“It is not entirely within my control when my contract expires; it is ultimately up to the club,” he stated to reporters. I am thoroughly relishing my time here. I will certainly consider the offer if it is available during the summer.
Consequently, it may be prudent for Manchester United to acquire a high-caliber player such as De Jong prior to the commencement of the upcoming season, as they may loose two midfielders. It will be intriguing to observe whether the Red Devils implement any tangible initiatives in his direction in the months ahead.
Thomas Frank to Manchester United?
In the interim, the primary concern of the Manchester United hierarchy is the status of their manager and whether Ten Hag will be permitted to remain in the position of manager.
Potential successors to their manager have already been investigated by the Red Devils. However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe will not be hasty in his decision-making process and will only terminate Ten Hag once he is satisfied that a suitable successor has been identified.
Thomas Frank, the manager of Brentford, has emerged as a prominent candidate to succeed Ten Hag, as we exclusively disclosed on Thursday.
Many top-tier teams have taken notice of his success at Brentford, where he has transformed them from Championship regulars to a formidable Premier League entity.
Frank’s players also hold him in high regard, which is another reason why the managerial inquiries of Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea have included him in their considerations.
In addition to Frank, TEAMtalk has learned that the Red Devils hierarchy has also considered Graham Potter, Eddie Howe, Potter and Howe, Massimiliano Allegri, Edin Terzic, and Lucien Favre as potential candidates. Additionally, Xavi has been recently associated with the team.
ATTENTION: Erik ten Hag’s Frenkie de Jong
In the summer of 2019, De Jong joined Barcelona in a £65 million agreement after making 59 appearances under Ten Hag.
In those 59 appearances, he contributed three goals and four assists to Ajax, averaging a direct goal every 720.2 minutes.
Ajax achieved a win rate of 72.8% and a loss rate of 10.1% when they collaborated, with 43 victories, 10 draws, and six losses.
In his final season under Ten Hag, the midfielder secured the Eredivisie title and maintained an average of 88.1 passes per 90 minutes of league play in 2018/19.
His pass success rate was 91.1%, and he also generated 1.6 opportunities per 90 minutes of league play.
The Netherlands international completed 2.2 effective dribbles per 90 minutes and was only dispossessed 1.0 times per 90.
Under Ten Hag, he also performed a significant amount of defensive work, averaging 1.9 effective challenges and 1.6 interceptions per 90 minutes of Eredivisie play in 2018/19.
