Manchester United are determined to rope in Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong ahead of the next season. It is understood that incoming manager Erik ten Hag is a huge admirer of De Jong. The Barcelona midfielder had come to the limelight during Ten Hag’s stint as Ajax coach.
According to a report by SBNATION, a reunion is in the offing as the Red Devils are desperate to build a revamped squad for next season. Talks are undergoing with reports claiming that some Barca officials “think they can get a lot of money out of a potential sale”.
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It is understood that Barcelona manager Xavi is opposed to the transfer of De Jong as he sees the midfielder as a part of his long-term plan. According to the report, Manchester United can sign 25-year-old midfielder but tit can only take place if the English club is ready to pay a handsome amount.
Recently during Barcelona’s match against Rayo Vallecano on April 25, De Jong was seen frustrated after he was substituted by Xavi on the hour mark. Eventually, Barcelona had to suffer a shocking 0-1 defeat in that game.
The Dutch footballer was an integral part of the Ajax side that had reached the Champions League semifinal in the 2018-19 season. Ajax was eventually eliminated from the European competition after suffering a defeat against Tottenham in the semifinal. His stellar show in that season was enough to impress Barcelona as the Blaugrana landed him ahead of the 2019-20 season.
Till now De Jong has played 139 matches for Barcelona and found the back of the net 13 times. In the ongoing edition of La Liga, he has played 31 matches and scored three goals along with three assists.
Overall, the current season has been a dismal one for Barcelona. The Catalan giants did produce a better show in the second half of the season but still they will remain without a trophy this season. Moreover they had to suffer a painful Europa League exit after conceding defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt. Barcelona did manage to beat Real Madrid in the second leg of La Liga but that was not enough to thwart the galacticos from clinching the domestic title. So, Xavi will undoubtedly be willing to retain De Jong to keep the structure and shape of his midfield intact.
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