De Jong to Man Utd: The state of play

Tom Weber

• Updated: 13 May 2023 10:45 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United continue to be linked with Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.

It is unsurprising that Erik ten Hag would want to bring his compatriot to Old Trafford. The two enjoyed a fruitful relationship at Ajax as Ten Hag built one of Europe's most exciting teams with De Jong firmly at its heart.

De Jong, however, ended up in Spain, while Ten Hag eventually moved to England. Since the latter turned up in Manchester, rumours linking him with his former player have refused to go away. Indeed, last summer there were more than just rumours.

The Red Devils had reportedly agreed a deal with the Blaugrana worth more than €80 million, but the transfer could not be completed. Not to be deterred, United were once again courting the Dutch international in January.

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De Jong allegedly told Ten Hag that he would be a Manchester United player by now had he not been forced to stay at Barcelona to sort out an issue over the club withholding his wages. There are still rumours swirling about now, but how much is there to them?

The latest

It is clear that United still want the 26-year-old, and they are reportedly confident of landing their target. If they were to make a large offer, Barcelona might be tempted to reluctantly accept - despite Sergio Busquets' departure - given their extremely dire financial situation.

This, however, is of course subject to United actually having the resources to offer a sum that Barcelona won't be able to resist. The unresolved ownership situation casts doubt on that as there is growing uncertainty about the budget that will be at Ten Hag's disposal this summer.

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With Financial Fair Play regulations also potentially coming into the mix, United will likely have to choose between targets rather than getting them all in, meaning that they will probably attempt to bring in a proper striker instead of De Jong even if the midfield position remains an area Ten Hag is desperate to fix.