Cristiano Ronaldo is sending a dreadful message to De Jong
FT Desk
- Updated: 8 Jul 2022 22:24 BST
- 3 min read
If there was an advert to Frenkie de Jong as to why he should not move to Manchester United from Barcelona this summer, Cristiano Ronaldo is presently it.
Ronaldo has missed the first week of pre-season training with the Red Devils amid reports that he is deeply unhappy at the club and is pushing to leave. He has not travelled with the squad for their pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia while no one seems quite sure when he might return.
All this is happening, of course, at a key point in Erik ten Hag's reign. The new manager is trying to build both his reputation and his squad, and Ronaldo's antics are hindering him from doing either job.
There was a time - not so long ago - when Manchester United was one of the most popular destinations in world football. Robin van Persie left rivals Arsenal for the Red Devils in 2012 and duly won the Premier League title.
Cross the boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, meanwhile, and a player's time at the club was over - David Beckham, Jaap Stam and Roy Keane all saw their Old Trafford careers cut short after falling out with the Scot.
THIRTEEN years ago today Ronaldo was presented as a Real Madrid player 🐐 pic.twitter.com/nky1D5Wdcm
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) July 6, 2022
The last time Ronaldo left United - approaching his prime in 2009 - club was still bigger than player, the Portuguese's move to Real Madrid only coming about a full season after he had initially desired.
Ronaldon't
But this time he is a 37-year-old whose goal contributions mask his negative impact on the team overall, and he is widely reported to be seeking a move away this summer with his desire to play out his final few seasons in the Champions League - a tournament United failed to qualify for last term.
The wheels of change are slowly turning at Old Trafford, and new manager Erik ten Hag has made his first summer signing in Dutch international left-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord, but De Jong's arrival would represent a real coup.
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The 25-year-old has a rare skillset in world football, in the 95th percentile La Liga-wide for progressive passes received, but also the 94th for progressive carries. In short, he is a player who can get forward from the base midfield with or without the ball - skills that Scott McTominay and Fred fall short on.
As reported exclusively by FootballTransfers, De Jong is understood to still want to make the move to Old Trafford, and a €65m fee has already been agreed between United and Barca, with only the structure of add-ons - around €19m - yet to be sorted.
But the deal is a fragile one. Man Utd don't have Champions League football and the spectre of Chelsea is looming.
Ronaldo's behaviour, and United's reaction to it, shows how far the club has fallen since the Ferguson era.
