Manchester United will be over the moon with this chief transfer target’s remarks.
Manchester United are just on the brinks of Champions League qualification. An inspired run of form saw them in a much more promising position heading into the World Cup break, but they still have work to do for the second half of the season.
The good news for Erik ten Hag and company is that January is fast approaching and with that comes an opportunity for the Red Devils to improve their squad for the second half of the season. I’m sure that the World Cup break would have brought about an abundance of new players on their shortlist too.
But according to a new report from The Mirror, Erik ten Hag is sticking with a player he knows well – Frenkie de Jong. The Barcelona midfielder has informed Erik ten Hag he would be willing to join him at Manchester United.
Of course, this is different to what de Jong has been saying in public. While he is a Barcelona player, he will remain loyal to the club. For some time, there has been speculation regarding the player’s relationship with manager Xavi – there was never any speculation with de Jong and ten Hag at Ajax, as the pair won the double and reached the Champions League semifinal together.
The Manchester side spent most of the summer aiming to bring in the midfielder, but they failed. Erik ten Hag is eager to sign him as he feels like he could be the answer to all of United’s midfield and creative problems – after all, if anyone knows how to get the best out of de Jong, it is ten Hag.
De Jong still has another four years to see out in his contract, but this private conversation with ten Hag is telling of his thoughts on playing for Barcelona. Transfermarkt claim the midfielder’s value stands at 50m euros.