Manchester United are reportedly planning to reignite their interest in signing Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong in the upcoming transfer window, as per the Spanish outlet Fichajes.
After becoming the United boss last summer, Erik ten Hag prioritised signing his compatriot at the beginning of last season. United opened formal talks with the Blaugrana to secure his signature and even agreed on a £72m deal with Xavi Hernandez’s side.
However, the Red Devils couldn’t manage to persuade de Jong to move to Old Trafford so a deal fell through and in the end, he remained at the Catalan giants. In the meantime, the Netherlands international has made it clear several times that Barcelona is his dream club and he has no intention of leaving the Blaugrana anytime soon.
However, according to the report by Fichajes, despite de Jong’s desire to stay at Barcelona, Man Utd haven’t given up on their hopes of securing his signature and they are planning to make another effort to sign him in the upcoming window.
The report further claims that Barcelona could be open to cashing-in on him to balance the books amid their financial difficulties if the player’s potential suitors such as Man Utd opt to submit an offer of around £72m.
De Jong to Man Utd
Fichajes also states that Ten Hag has been insisting on signing de Jong so Man Utd could opt to match Barcelona’s asking price to acquire his service.
However, the biggest stumbling block for United to secure de Jong’s signature would be persuading him to move to Old Trafford. The Netherlands international’s current contract is set to run until June 2026 so he is in no rush to move away anytime soon.
De Jong is one of the best midfielders in the world and he possesses the attributes that United are currently lacking in their engine room so, his addition would take Man Utd to the next level if they sign him.
However, it would be a daunting task for Ten Hag’s side to secure his signature in the upcoming transfer window. It is going to be interesting to see whether the record Premier League champions opt to make a concrete approach to sign him over the coming months to bolster their midfield department.
