Manchester United are reportedly ready to revive their interest in signing Chelsea target and Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong next summer, as per the transfer insider Dean Jones.
The Red Devils have continuously been eyeing a move for the Netherlands international since Erik ten Hag’s arrival. The Dutch boss previously enjoyed success working with the 25-year-old at Ajax and it seems he wants to reunite with the midfielder at Old Trafford.
Despite agreeing on a fee of around £75m including bonuses with Barcelona to sign de Jong last summer, Man Utd could not manage to persuade the midfielder to join the club as the Dutchman was eager to stay in Catalonia.
However, despite failing to broker a deal for him last time around, it seems Man Utd are still keen on signing the talented midfielder and are looking to reignite their interest in signing him at the end of this season.
Writing on GiveMeSport, Jones has claimed that if ten Hag were to be handed a big transfer budget in the summer then the United boss is likely to prioritise a move for de Jong over signing a new marquee striker.
Battle
The journalist further states that although the Old Trafford outfit want to sign a new striker to strengthen their front line, de Jong remains their primary target and they could make a swoop for him once again at the end of this season.
It has been reported that Barcelona are struggling with financial issues and they need to sell a few players to balance their books, and de Jong is one of their biggest saleable assets in the squad.
Meanwhile, it was previously reported that Chelsea also expressed their interest in signing de Jong last summer. And given they are planning to sign a new midfielder for next season, they could also look to rekindle their interest in signing him. So, United are set to face a stern challenge from the west London club in getting this deal done.
However, it has been reported that Chelsea have identified Jude Bellingham as their primary target and therefore, de Jong could be the backup target that Graham Potter’s side are lining up if they fail to sign the Englishman.
De Jong is deemed one of the best midfielders in the world, so he would be a great acquisition if Man Utd or Chelsea were to be able to broker a deal for him in the summer.
