Man Utd obsessing over wrong Dutchman? Ex-Ajax star can be better than De Jong

Milan Keskin

• 2 Mar 2023 16:18 CST
• 4 min read

Manchester United continue to be linked with a transfer for Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong - but are the Red Devils looking at the right Dutch midfielder?

Data suggests that they are not. Instead, Erik ten Hag should look to Ryan Gravenberch, a player he knows from his time at Ajax, in order to pick up the player with the most long-term potential to be the best Netherlands midfielder of his generation.

He made the switch from Ajax to Bayern Munich for €18.5 million last summer, and though it has not gone well for him in Germany, the potential remains for him to become a standout star in the future.

MORE: How will Man Utd line up with De Jong and Casemiro?

The 20-year-old midfielder has not yet succeeded in making an indelible impression in the Bundesliga and has yet to convince Julian Nagelsmann of his qualities. Gravenberch only played 286 minutes in the league this season.

Nevertheless, the coach does see the potential of the Amsterdammer.

“He is a very nice boy who will continue to develop,” the head coach told Sky . “I told him that he will be one of the best midfielders in the world. I am committed to that.”

To make more minutes, Gravenberch was linked with a loan to Ten Hag's Man Utd in the January transfer window. Bayern eventually put a stop to that, believing that he could still have an important role to play before the season is out.

MORE: Frenkie de Jong wants to partner Casemiro in Man Utd midfield

Thinking of the long term, Gravenberch is still expected play a major part in Bayern Munich's midfield. Data from SciSports shows that Gravenberch is Dutchman with most promise. With a Potential of 137.5, Gravenberch will eventually become a better midfielder than Frenkie de Jong (121.9). Indeed, with this potential, the Amsterdammer may even outperform Kevin De Bruyne (133.3).

Yet Gravenberch still has a long way to go. The midfielder currently has a SciSkill of 99.9 and now plays at the level of, say, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan. Gravenberch is thus rubbing against the level of Bayern Munich, but currently seems to be just short.

The midfielder will have to step up a gear in the near future. Data from SciSports shows that Gravenberch has only increased 4.1 points in his development over the past six months. At that rate, it will take about five years for Gravenberch to reach its maximum level.

It is clear that Gravenberch has a bright future ahead. As soon as the midfielder gets more playing time at Bayern Munich, there is a good chance that his SciSkill will increase rapidly. In that case, it is only a matter of time before Gravenberch is the best Dutch midfielder and leaving Frenkie de Jong in his wake.