Frenkie de Jong has already explained why he'd be open to a move to Manchester United this summer.
The Manchester Evening News revealed on Thursday that United have contacted Barcelona about De Jong's availability. The Dutchman is contracted to Barcelona until 2026 but reports linking the midfielder with an exit from La Liga have intensified this week.
Despite those links, reports which have suggested a deal for De Jong is near to completion are wide of the mark. United are in the market for midfield reinforcements this summer, though, with Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic both leaving the club at the end of the season.
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Although it's been suggested De Jong could make a perfect replacement for Pogba, any transfer for the player might not be as straightforward as it seems. Barcelona are cash-strapped but De Jong is believed to be settled in Catalonia, while United would not be able to offer Champions League football to the Dutchman.
However, De Jong's previous comments will provide United with plenty of encouragement. After the midfielder joined Barcelona in 2019, he opened up on the interest he'd received from some of Europe's biggest clubs and he admitted he had joined Barcelona for the 'challenge', which suggests a new project with Ten Hag might tempt him.
“(Paris Saint-Germain) were one of the best options. The club, the team, the coach impressed me," De Jong said.
"They gave me the chance to play consistently and Ligue 1 could be an advantage, there is still time to grow. I went to Manchester and Paris and I spoke to [Thomas] Tuchel and [Pep] Guardiola. My choice is not a decision against those clubs but in favour of Barcelona.
"The challenge is huge. Regarding France, I didn’t have the feeling that I wanted to play there for 10 years.”
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