Transfer Boost for Manchester United in Pursuit of Barca's Frenkie de Jong

Manchester United have had their hopes reignited in the pursuit of Netherlands midfielder Frenkie De Jong. Spanish giants Barcelona have set an asking of £58million to sell the Dutchman this summer as they look to restructure their wage bill.

Xavi was initially reluctant to sell De Jong as the player is an integral part of this revamped Barca side. Xavi feels the Dutch midfielder lacks the leadership qualities amongst a young squad like Barca’s and would struggle to take the next generation of the club’s youth players forward. De Jong has put in solid performances in midfield, contributing four goals and five assists in 45 outings this season (stats via Transfermarkt).

Frenkie De Jong at Barcelona, Manchester United, Frenkie De Jong — Image obtained via: Getty Images

De Jong moved from Ajax to Barcelona for £64m in 2019. His former Ajax boss Ten Hag is a huge fan of the player and would love to link up with him at Old Trafford. Ten Hag helped him develop into one of the best midfielders in Europe during the 2018/19 season when Ajax made it to the Champions League semifinals.

Manchester United have been struggling in the midfield area for several years now. With Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic set to leave on free transfers this summer, the 24-years-old will lay claim to that position immediately at Old Trafford.

Moreover, Barcelona will be delighted to cash in on De Jong, especially with Sergio Busquets signing a new contract till 2023. They have also found his replacement in Valencia midfielder Carlos Soler. The negotiations have reached advanced stages and an announcement could be put out soon.

Valencia would like to get a transfer fee in the region of €20 million before his contract runs out next season. Xavi wants a midfield commander who can lead the team from the front and Soler is a better source of goals from midfield. He has found the back of the net on 12 occasions compared to de Jong’s four.

FC Barcelona waiting for Man United's big offer for Frenkie de Jong 🥹

Parting ways with the Dutch midfielder is not in Barca's plan, but they're ready to explore transfer offers for the 24-year-old player.

Earlier it was reported that Man Utd is actively interested in de Jong. pic.twitter.com/v1JLm3GmUs

— 1хBet (@1xBet_Eng) May 4, 2022

Meanwhile, the Red Devils are also looking forward to revamping their midfield this summer, given players such as Pogba, Lingard, Matic, and Mata, all are out of contract at the end of the season. These players leaving the club would mean further reliability on Fred and Scott McTominay.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance for United to complete two signings in the midfield this summer. They certainly need to find a physical defensive midfielder with the ability to carry out high energy pressing. The likes of Declan Rice, Ruben Neves, Amadou Haidara, Boubacar Kamara, Kalvin Philips, and Aurelien Tchouameni have all been linked with United.

Besides, a defensive midfielder, United also need a good quality central midfielder who can control the play and set the tempo of the game. Frenkie de Jong looks like the ideal solution for Manchester United for such a role. The only stumbling block is the lack of Champions League football next season for United. Arsenal seem to be interested in the midfielder as well and Arteta will feel the Gunners can attract De Jong, especially with the lure of European football.

Despite the clear links between Erik Ten Hag’s appointment and a possible reunion with the Dutch midfielder, the move seems unlikely right now even to Xavi. If Manchester United can offer the right price and sell their project under Ten Hag to Frenkie de Jong, we might see an unexpected outcome in the coming days.

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