Since Erik Ten Hag’s arrival at Manchester United, there has been only one player heavily linked with a move to the club, despite the several outgoings.
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Frenkie de Jong has been the name in the speculations of a move to the Old Trafford this summer, to link up with his former Ajax folks in a deal that would be massive for the project should United be able to get it done.
Despite the limitations, which is United not playing in the Champions League next season, the rumours of Frenkie de Jong to United won’t just go away.
The club has over the years been unable to secure the services of a perfect modern defensive Midfielder and the new manager is looking to kickstart his reign with familiar gem, who stand out among peers, and offers much more than required.
25-year-old De Jong was part of the Ten Hag’s Ajax side that beat the odds to reach the semi final of the UEFA Champions League in 2018, playing as at the base of the midfield, a role which he has been deprived of in his time at Barcelona.
Previous and current managers at Barcelona prefers Sergio Busquets, making the Dutchman continuously grow frustrated. Recent events under Xavi Hernandez has also not been encouraging, he is not considered a crucial part of the project.
Barcelona are willing to part ways with de Jong should they receive the proper bid and it is United that has shown more commitment to getting a deal done for the midfielder, who could possibly be on his way out of Camp Nou this summer.
A move to United this summer would help the player play his favourite position, help United land a defensive Midfielder and also relief the stress of working with an unfamiliar player for Ten Hag.
While at Ajax, Ten Hag enjoyed success and was able to dominate play employing the 433 formation, which securing the services of De Jong will mean two of his three midfielders at Ajax are already available for him at United.
Donny van de Beek moved to Manchester United in 2020 but has struggled to get on and the £40 million invested on him is yet to be actualized. Bringing in de Jong could also help get the best out of de Beek as both players compliment each other very well.
De Jong is a player player who has it all. Could play anywhere across the midfield thanks to his ability to keep the ball. His passing, dribbling and defending abilities makes him a versatile player who could also play at the heart of the defense.
While at Ajax, de Jong partnered Mattijs de Ligt in defense and did so on couple of occasions for Barcelona. It could also help that Ten Hag is the man who discovered the strength of the player.
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Moreso, De Jong recorded the highest dribbling success of all players to participate in all competitions, during his last season with Ajax. An extraordinary game-reader who as well makes offensive runs through the middle.
His dribbling skills and ability to retain possession under pressure in tight space would help United build from the back in a league of hight intensity, something that has been lacking in the team for a long time.
De Jong ranks top for best completed dribbles percentage in Europe top leagues this season, for players to have attempted 40 or more. His number in this category is better than that of any other player in the Barcelona team.
With the likes of Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic all departing this summer, the arrival of de Jong would breath fresh life into the United midfield, where the likes of Scot Mctominay and Fred has failed to really hold a strong foot on a starting spot over the years.
For his age, de Jong is an experience player having been playing at the top level for over five years. He is also an established international player with the Netherlands, making him a player of dreams, who would slot into almost any team in the world.
His concentration is also top quality and his playmaking skills has seen him created over 40 chances in each of the last four league campaigns, which makes his presence at any position on the field a threat to the opposing teams.
It will require some convincing work from Ten Hag and United given their Champions League absence but doing anything to get de Jong to Old Trafford this summer will be worth it.
The competition for top spots in England is onerous and it requires having top class players in order to compete with the best. Not many teams will be willing to let go of their top players and it is even mystifying to see Barcelona letting go of a player like de Jong.
The demands will be huge from Barcelona and knowingly, player of de Jong’s class will not come cheap. It may mean that United will have to invest another excess of £80 million on a midfielder in the wake of the departure of one for free.
Nonetheless, it will be a big win for the Old Trafford landlords if they can reunite de Jong, de Beek and Ten Hag this summer.
There are also reports that the Dutch manager is pleased with Andreas Pereira, who is currently on loan at Flamengo.
Pereira is a player with great technical abilities but has not been able to give enough fight for a place in the team. However, Erik Ten Hag’s tenure could see him reinstated back to the squad.
Author: Kehinde Hassan Afolabi
