‘Who needs De Jong when you have Fred?’: Man Utd fans troll Barcelona transfer target

Suraj Radia

• 16 Feb 2023 21:01 GMT
• 3 min read

Frenkie de Jong came up against Manchester United for the first time since his failed transfer from Barcelona last year but the midfielder failed to impress in the draw at Camp Nou.

Both sides played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the first leg of the Europa League knockout stages, however Barca will perhaps feel disappointed at losing grip on a match they had taken the lead in.

The Spanish side never really controlled the game despite having more than 60% of possession, with United’s midfield of Fred and Casemiro doing well to limit the potential of De Jong and his partner Franck Kessie.

REACTION: Ten Hag praises striker's importance after draw

De Jong, in particular, failed to truly influence the game, creating no chances and seeing less of the ball than defender Marcos Alonso, despite the Spaniard being subbed off on 66 minutes.

The lacklustre performance from the Dutchman drew jeers from United fans on social media, especially given the display of Fred, who assisted Marcus Rashford’s equaliser.

United had agreed a fee in the region of £70 million for De Jong last summer but the Dutchman rejected a move and the decision to spend a similar amount on Casemiro instead appeared to bring vindication for fans after a breathless tie.

’De Jong’s finally coming to Manchester only to be sent back home!

United fans drew confidence from the game, having been warned of Barcelona’s impressive defensive record and run of 15 wins in their last 16 games across all competitions.

Few would have predicted Fred coming out on top in a midfield battle with the likes of De Jong, Pedri and Gavi but the Brazilian produced the joint-most tackles of anyone on the pitch and ‘pocketed’ his opponents, according to fans on social media.

While Fred could have seen a penalty given against him for handball, the 29-year-old was praised by fans for his marking of De Jong, with some calling it a midfield performance reminiscent of the Sir Alex Ferguson days and claiming United already had the superior player.

With United rumoured to be considering another move for De Jong this summer, supporters may regret their criticism of the 25-year-old, however the performance of Fred, Rashford and United’s impressive side will live long in the memories for fans.