What is the best position for Man Utd transfer target Frenkie de Jong?
Karan Tejwani
- 28 Jun 2022 14:16 BST
- 3 min read
Frenkie de Jong is close to a move to Manchester United, with the Red Devils and Barcelona in talks for several weeks over the future of the Dutch midfielder.
The deal is set to cost Manchester United €65 million, with add-ons taking it close to €80 million, making it one of the biggest transfers of this summer window.
It’s believed that the prospect of working under Erik ten Hag is a major factor in De Jong’s decision, as the two shared a good relationship when they were at Ajax.
There are, however, doubts over his best position, as he’s played in different roles at Ajax, Barcelona and the Dutch national team, as he has worked under various different managers.
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What is De Jong's best position
De Jong has previously spoken about where he likes to play, and that he likes his role with the Dutch national team under Louis van Gaal.
He’s played in the deep-lying midfield role with the Oranje, something that has been rare with Barcelona, and it’s expected that he’ll take up that role once again should he move to Manchester United.
United have identified the midfield as a position that needs drastic improvement, as the likes of Scott McTominay, Nemanja Matic, Fred, Paul Pogba and others have struggled to make an impact.
De Jong would work best with a defensive midfielder sat next to him, as he had at Ajax in the form of Lasse Schone, which allowed him to show his best form.
At Barcelona, De Jong rarely had the same support, and the emergence of players like Pedri and Gavi, and status of Sergio Busquets in the team meant that the Dutchman could rarely show his best.
BREAKING: Manchester United are close to agreeing a deal with Barcelona for midfielder Frenkie de Jong 🔴 pic.twitter.com/MmtDYabWPf
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 28, 2022
Earlier in the month, when speaking about his role, De Jong said: “Here in the national team I have a position that suits me better. I like being the first player to receive the ball from the defenders.”
With the Dutch, he also has a man to support him on the pitch, and it’s been that way since he made his name with the national team when Ronald Koeman was head coach.
It’s expected that Ten Hag will be able to bring the best out of him again – the coach has made it clear to the player that the midfield will be built around him, and that will work in De Jong’s long-term favour.
