Erik ten Hag’s reign at Manchester United so far has certainly been interesting.
Cristiano Ronaldo could leave, Harry Maguire has been booed by fans in America and a lengthy transfer saga has played out.
What’s the word?
That saga revolves around Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
It appears Barcelona and United are ready to strike a deal but it now hinges on whether the Dutchman actually wants the move.
Should it collapse, then it appears ten Hag has other irons in the fire.
That’s the word of journalist Ben Jacobs who taking to Twitter, revealed an alternative in the middle of the park.
He said: “Man United’s interest in Tielemans is genuine, too, and growing. He’s a far cheaper and less complicated option than Frenkie de Jong. Erik ten Hag has put him on a midfield shortlist. Tielemans indicated under Ralf Rangnick he didn’t want to move to MUFC but ten Hag may revisit.”
Tielemans or de Jong? You decide!
Forget Frenkie
De Jong would be a pretty perfect signing for ten Hag this summer.
The duo are already acquainted with each other due to their work at Ajax and as a result, reuniting them feels like a no-brainer.
However, at a whopping £63m, United’s money could be better spent elsewhere.
After all, the Old Trafford outfit have religiously thrown the book at players in recent years without too much success.
Turning to Tielemans, who is a classy “phenomenon” in the words of ex-Sweden midfielder Par Zetterberg, makes a great deal of sense.
Not only would he be much cheaper than de Jong at around £25m, but with a year left on his current contract, it would be easier to extract him from his current employer; Leicester City.
Arsenal are also in the race for the Belgian and if they can beat their top-four rivals to his signature, it would surely be celebrated by the United faithful.
That said, there is more appeal to Tielemans than merely beating their nearest competitors to the signing.
This is a player with plenty of Premier League experience now and unlike de Jong, is already caught up with the rigours of top-flight life in England.
The Foxes playmaker has shown plenty since his arrival at the King Power, with a haul of seven goals and five assists last term proving he can be an elite performer from central areas at the top of the game.
De Jong is a more defensively sound midfielder than Tielemans but that should not deter the key decision makers at Old Trafford.
The Leicester hero is the real deal and considering his lowly price tag, United would be fools to pass up on the opportunity to sign him.
Combined with the likes of Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes, it would be a creative haven for offensive players during the ten Hag regime.
It’s time to forget about de Jong and move on to Brendan Rodgers’ silky smooth talisman.
