Van Gaal on Man Utd target De Jong: 'That's why he's worth €112m!'

Karan Tejwani

• 9 Jun 2022 04:50 CDT
• 3 min read

The Netherlands beat Wales 2-1 in their Nations League match, and Louis van Gaal was full of praise for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

The 25-year-old came on as a substitute in the 67th minute and was instrumental in helping his side win, with his forward run in the final minutes of the game contributing to Wout Weghorst’s winner.

Van Gaal’s side conceded a late equalizer, but it was De Jong’s driving late run and move that was lauded widely as the Dutch sealed an important win in the context of their Nations League group.

Related articles

Out of contract in 2022: The best free agents available on a Bosman

Football Transfer News LIVE: Tomiyasu signs new Arsenal contract

Premier League 2022/23 summer transfers: All the completed deals

Van Gaal highlights De Jong importance

After the match, Van Gaal brought up De Jong’s reported value as a mean of highlighting his importance to the Dutch national team and applauding his performance.

“I already knew how important Frenkie is. I don't need to see that anymore. He brings extra quality to this team. That's why he's worth €112 million,” the former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss said after the game.

This was in reference to the valuations released by the CIES World Football Observatory, where De Jong was valued at €112 million, the seventh most valuable player on the list and was big news in the Netherlands.

He was behind the likes of leader Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid’s Champions League hero Vinicius Jr., team-mate Pedri and Manchester City’s Phil Foden, amongst others.

The midfielder has been the subject of speculation linking him with a move away from Barcelona, with the Catalan club eager to improve their financial situation.

The club’s reported asking price is between €80-85 million, while Manchester United, the club most heavily linked with him, have offered €60 million with bonuses.

United don’t have the same appeal as others ideally would, with the club undergoing another rebuild and not having Champions League football, which would make the move difficult.

It has been reported that new manager Erik ten Hag has had conversations with De Jong over a possible transfer and has explained that his role with United would be similar to the one he has with the Dutch national team.

The saga is likely to drag on through the summer as there are several factors to consider: the price, agreements, Barcelona’s financial situation, Ten Hag’s desire and Xavi’s apparent reluctance to let De Jong go.