Erik ten Hag remains determined to sign Frenkie de Jong for Manchester United and may be handed his chance this summer as Barcelona will consider good offers.
That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who cover Manchester United’s renewed interest on their front page today and insist ‘Ten Hag is still crazy about De Jong’.
The newspaper reports that while Ten Hag’s future at Manchester United may still be in the air, the reality is that he has a contract until 2025 and his intention is to fulfil that unless he is told otherwise.
Thus, planning for next season is well underway and one of his objectives remains to bring De Jong to Old Trafford.
The Dutch coach has made it clear that he will ask Manchester United to sign the midfielder again and De Jong’s entourage are waiting for a bid to be made.
Ten Hag considers De Jong an ideal signing, believing him to be something of a disciple given their time together at Ajax and knowing what he can bring to his midfield.
At the moment Barcelona aren’t pursuing a sale and want De Jong to sign a new contract at the club with revised terms and conditions.
That offer has been on the table for months, though, and he is yet to respond to it, leading to fears that he is dragging his feet and hoping to perhaps play things out until next summer when he’ll have a year left on his deal and be in a strong position.
Barcelona wouldn’t allow things to go that far and if he refuses to accept this latest offer, they will open the doors wide for him to leave, despite him being a key player under Xavi.
If a good offer comes in, they will seriously consider it, particularly as the money from the sale could be used and it would take away one of the bigger salaries on the squad.
Everything adds up and is valued in that light and it seems Manchester United will test that again as Ten Hag continues to push for a reunion with De Jong at Old Trafford.
Despite all of that, it needs noting Barcelona have wanted De Jong to leave before, for financial reasons, and there was talk of all kinds of pressure being put on, even leaving him in the stands, and the Dutchman was unflappable.
