Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has urged Erik ten Hag to abandon his pursuit of Frenkie de Jong in the wake of Casemiro's impressive performances at the World Cup.
De Jong, 25, is back on United's radar after a blockbuster summer switch failed to materialise. Ten Hag worked closely with De Jong at Ajax, where the playmaker flourished, and quickly installed the Barcelona ace as his priority transfer target after arriving at United.
The Dutchman was eventually forced to admit defeat in his bid to lure De Jong to Old Trafford and instead turned his attention to Casemiro - who has already made a significant impact at the club since arriving from Real Madrid.
United have looked far more efficient with Casemiro anchoring their engine room; the multi-time Champions League winner made a slow start to life in the Premier League but has looked the part in recent months and played an influential in helping Ten Hag's side recover from a disastrous start to the season.
The 30-year-old also caught the eye for Brazil during the World Cup - and Saha is adamant that United no longer need to pursue a deal for De Jong, whose long-term future is still uncertain.
"Frenkie de Jong would be a good signing for Manchester United because he’s a great player! He did well at the World Cup and is very composed," Saha told Paddy Power.
"But, if Casemiro keeps the form he had for Brazil at the World Cup, there isn’t a single player in the world better than him. His aggression and composure is at the top, and that’s how I see it. Competition in the squad is good but having so many midfielders isn’t always healthy."
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Although Casemiro is currently at the peak of his powers, United could be drawn back to the negotiating table for De Jong given that he is five years younger. If that is the case, then Saha believes United should consider offloading another of Ten Hag's former Ajax players: Donny van de Beek.
The Dutchman has struggled to many any sort of impression since joining the club and spent the second half of last season on loan at Everton.
Saha added: "Donny van de Beek hasn’t played particularly well and if United want to bring in de Jong, there will have to be some departures. Frenkie de Jong is a massive player and Erik ten Hag is going to have some difficult decisions to make.
"Manchester United want to be at the top and those kinds of signings would be massive, but they’re not the right signings to make in the middle of the season."
