Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is reportedly open to joining Manchester United next summer.
The Red Devils chased the Dutchman’s signature for the most part of the past summer transfer window. It is thought they agreed an €85million transfer fee with Barcelona but failed to convince the central midfielder to swap Camp Nou for Old Trafford because of a host of reasons. Instead, the Mancunian giants opted to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Frenkie de Jong would still be happy to join Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. He publicly stated his desire to remain at Barcelona for the next eight to 10 years, but he told Ten Hag otherwise and would be open to a reunion in the future.
De Jong, 25, is still under contract at Barcelona until 2026, although he is said to have rejected the club’s attempts to reduce his salary again. The report adds that the Netherlands international’s deferred wages proved to be the biggest obstacle in Man United’s pursuit.
Frenkie de Jong to Man United—Should the Red Devils make a move?
Erik ten Hag was desperate to sign Frenkie de Jong after developing him at Ajax, as the pair won a league and cup double together during the 2018/19 campaign. The duo also reached the Champions League semi-final that season, where they suffered a last-minute defeat to Tottenham.
Failing to sign De Jong saw Ten Hag bring in Christian Eriksen and Casemiro to Manchester United as midfield reinforcements and, the duo have performed admirably well. However, as both Eriksen and Casemiro have entered their 30s, the Man United boss is on the lookout for a youthful deep-lying playmaker to add to his midfield unit.
De Jong, in that regard, fits the bill perfectly at Man United. Since arriving at Barcelona from Ajax in 2019, the midfielder has racked up 157 appearances, registering 15 goals and 19 assists. He has been a regular under Xavi Hernandez this season, managing two goals and an assist in 17 games across all competitions.
The 25-year-old provided a goal and an assist in five starts for the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as Louis van Gaal’s Oranje army suffered quarter-final elimination to eventual winners Argentina. For a player of De Jong’s calibre, experience and mentality, it is no surprise to see Ten Hag and United keen to revive their interest in him.
The Red Devils could do with bolstering their midfield as they certainly can’t move forward as a team without bringing in upgrades on the likes of Fred and Scott McTominay. De Jong would be a straight upgrade on both Fred and McTominay, and while he has stated his desire to stay at Barcelona a number of times, one could imagine he might also feel Ten Hag would be good for his development.
Thus, there will be no harm from United’s viewpoint in exploring the possibility of the Dutchman’s signing in 2023.