A huge development has emerged in Manchester United’s ploy to bring Frenkie de Jong to Old Trafford this summer.
What’s the word?
De Jong has emerged as a target for new manager Erik ten Hag over the last few weeks as the former Ajax boss aims to reunite himself with the Dutch maestro.
No official bid has been submitted yet but the club are now in contact to sign the 25-year-old this summer.
Will Man United sign De Jong?
Speaking on YouTube channel, Romano said:
“I have an update for you after a check I had in the last few hours. Frenkie de Jong spoke in public in the last 24 hours and said again that he has no intention to leave Barcelona. But what I can tell you is that after some checks, Barcelona and Manchester United are in direct contact for Frenkie de Jong.
“There is still no official bid from Manchester United. They are still discussing, speaking, there is no official proposal yet. It could happen in the coming hours or days. For sure, Manchester United have intention to act soon for Frenkie de Jong. They really want to complete this transfer this summer. The fee, from what I’m told is around €85m (72.4m). This could be the price tag to sign the Dutch midfielder.”
Exciting times for Man United
Manchester United now have the price they need to bring De Jong to the Premier League this summer.
Although not necessarily a breakthrough in proceedings, it should excite the Old Trafford faithful considerably that the two teams are now in talks regarding a potential deal.
With confirmation arriving on Wednesday that Paul Pogba is set to depart, bringing in a new central midfielder is simply of utmost importance.
A player as good as De Jong would be a fine way to replace him too.
A quick look at FB Ref’s similar player model puts the Dutch dynamo in fine company, with the player comparable in playstyle to the likes of Luka Modric, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva.
He is blessed with a wonderful range of passing, with de Jong registering a success rate of 91.3% for Barca in La Liga this season.
To compare that to the United squad throughout 2021/22, he ranks higher than any player to start a game for the Red Devils in the Premier League.
A safe pair of hands in the middle of the park is exactly what ten Hag needs to start his rebuild and it’s evident he’d be an upgrade on the likes of Scott McTominay and Fred.
He makes more key passes per match (1.3) than the pair of them – a statistic that would place him fourth in the United side – and he also completes 1.6 dribbles a game. Once more that’s a number that betters United’s midfield options and again places him fourth compared to ten Hag’s squad.
With that in mind, it’s clear to see that he’d offer a great deal more in the centre for the Premier League side, an eventuality that should leave fans excited at the prospect of him arriving in England this summer.
AND in other news, MUFC can sign their answer to Haaland in “magical” £222k-p/w gem who’s “like Maradona”…
