Manchester United keep thinking about Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Spanish publication Sport.
The Netherlands international was manager Erik ten Hag’s priority target last summer, but a deal did not materialise due to the midfielder’s reluctance to leave Barcelona.
After weeks of negotiations, United finalised a €85 million deal with the Catalan giants but De Jong was quite clear that he did not want to leave the Blaugrana at any cost.
However, this has not ended the speculation regarding his future and Sport report that United ‘keep thinking’ about De Jong ahead of the next transfer window.
Ten Hag is obviously a firm admirer of the midfielder after their time together at Ajax and he has urged the club to make a renewed approach at the end of the season.
De Jong recently refused to rule out a possible move to United. The Red Devils could persuade him to join them after the good progress made under Ten Hag this term.
United could make fresh move for De Jong
United spent weeks negotiating with the Blaugrana for De Jong last summer. They eventually agreed a fee but the midfielder was not keen on parting ways with the club.
Hence, the Red Devils ended up landing Casemiro from Real Madrid instead. This was a blessing in disguise. The Brazilian has been outstanding in his debut campaign.
He has been brilliant with his defensive and offensive contributions. Casemiro has had bad luck with suspensions but overall, he has already proved his worth to United.
Ten Hag is still keen on reuniting with De Jong and we are not surprised by that, considering he is terrific in controlling the game with his top-class distribution and positioning.
United would ideally prefer a creative midfielder for the summer, but Ten Hag is unlikely to give up on the opportunity to sign De Jong if he is available for a transfer this time.
Under Ten Hag, United recently ended their six-year trophy drought and they are currently on course for Champions League football. This could persuade De Jong to join the club.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
