Frenkie de Jong looks to be Erik ten Hag’s primary Manchester United target this summer.
The club are in need of midfielders ahead of the 2022/23 campaign with four set to leave next month, including the likes of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic. One major positive if United were to sign De Jong would be the strong relationship between player and coach.
The pair reached the semi-finals of the 2019 Champions League with Ajax before the midfielder jetted off to Barcelona. He arrived at the Nou Camp as the most expensive Dutchman in history thanks to the £76million (€90m) fee paid for him.
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But that didn’t seem to faze the youngster. Speaking upon his arrival in Spain, the then-21-year-old said: “The large transfer fee doesn’t really affect me much.
“It is nice to be the most expensive Dutchman and it is nice for my agent and for Ajax. But it does not matter to me whether I cost €5m, €150m or €200m. I just need to make sure that I do my own thing."
And his 139 appearances since then indicate he has been true to his word. While De Jong hasn’t set the world alight, he has been consistent and reliable.
He has shown to Ten Hag he can handle playing for a globally-reputable club, and even play a significant role at one, as demonstrated this season. There have been frequent cases where players have wilted under the pressure of playing for United.
Many fans will argue that most of this season’s squad comes under that category but it is the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Angel Di Maria and Romelu Lukaku who will be remembered as big-money flops. Maybe Pogba fits into the bracket too.
De Jong could cost up to £75m if Barcelona allow him to leave. Ten Hag knows it is vital to bring in players who will need a level head if he is to ignite a rebuild of United.
After going for a fortune in one transfer already, another mega-cash switch won’t alarm De Jong. Mentality will be of great importance to United next season, and the acquisition of the Netherlands international would be a seismic step in the right direction in that regard.
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