According to sports journalist Alfredo Martínez, Manchester United have been handed a vital boost in the Frenkie de Jong transfer saga. The red half of Manchester have enjoyed a frustrating transfer window thus far, but this is a massive boost for United in their pursuit of the ‘special’ Dutch international. According to Rob Dawson of ESPN, the Old Trafford hierarchy are prepared to pay between £50-60 million for the Dutchman before add-ons. Manchester United have identified De Jong as a priority, but they won’t want to overpay and affect their pursuit of other targets. But with Barcelona’s admission that De Jong will be leaving now reported by Martinez, the deal seems more likely to happen than ever before.
Frenkie de Jong Transfer: Manchester United Handed Vital Boost in Pursuit of the Dutch International
De Jong to Bolster the Red Devils
With the admission coming from the Camp Nou that ‘there’s no going back’ for De Jong, Manchester United’s pursuit of the Dutch international has seemingly entered a new phase.
The transfer saga of the Dutch midfielder has been ongoing for several weeks. Erik ten Hag has identified the Barcelona man as a priority signing after numerous midfielder departures from Old Trafford, including Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic.
The main delay has seemingly been in trying to convince De Jong to join a club with no Champions League football on offer. The sides have also been apart in their valuations of the player, so with the admission from Barcelona that the transfer is inevitable, it is in United’s hands as to whether they meet the valuation of €86m set by the Catalan giants.
What de Jong Could Bring to Old Trafford
De Jong is one of the most highly-rated midfielders in Europe but has found his time in Barcelona challenging with the Catalan giants in a transitional period. Despite this, Ten Hag is intent on marking the new era at Old Trafford by making him the centre-piece signing for Manchester United.
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His intelligence on and off the ball is something they have lacked in more recent times. The Dutchman is adept in possession, which undoubtedly comes from his football upbringing in the Ajax academy.
The Dutch midfielder is technically superb with a high footballing IQ, which means he is rarely caught in possession or out of position. His progressive passing means he is fantastic at breaking the lines, something United lacked last season.
