Barcelona get ‘positive sensations’ to take Man Utd target out of Ten Hag’s reach
Robin Bairner
- 30 Sept 2023 09:23 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona have opened talks with midfielder Frenkie de Jong over a new contract, which would finally put an end to speculation linking the Netherlands international star with a reunion with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
Mundo Deportivo has revealed that Barcelona sporting director Deco has made first contact with the 26-year-old midfielder, who has become a fulcrum of Xavi’s plans at Camp Nou.
The target of the LaLiga champions is to tie him down until 2028.
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Although De Jong still holds a contract that runs until 2026, Barcelona are working hard to tie down a player who has become arguably the most important in their squad.
According to the report “both Deco and Xavi have the utmost confidence in De Jong as a player of the present and the future”.
If and when he does sign a new deal, it will bring an end to speculation over his future, which has lingered amid Barcelona’s financial problems for over a year.
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Man Utd's long links with De Jong
The presence of former Ajax boss Ten Hag at Man Utd has been a catalyst to increase the uncertainty over De Jong, who was even threatened by legal action over his current deal by the Blaugrana in August 2022.
The 53-year-old is a firm fan of his compatriot and sought throughout the summer of 2022 to bring him to Old Trafford in an enduring transfer saga.
Although the links between Man Utd and De Jong eased in 2023, the Red Devils are still in the market to improve their midfield in the long term, and the Dutchman would undoubtedly have been part of that thought process.
Casemiro, in particular, has shown his age this season and there is a sense that the Old Trafford club could use the type of permanence that De Jong would have brought to the club.
Instead, Barcelona are seeking to have that long-term assurance, with the midfielder on course to commit the next five years to the Camp Nou side.
