Following confirmation of the departures of Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata, Manchester United's midfield promises to have a very different look to it next season.
The club has confirmed that the aforementioned quartet will all leave Old Trafford when their contracts expire at the end of this month, paving the way for manager Erik ten Hag to embed new talent within his squad. Reshaping United's midfield is expected to be among his leading priorities this summer, with that area of the team having been criticised more than any other this season.
The Reds are crying out for a new defensive midfielder, with concerns having been raised about Scott McTominay's and Fred's long-term roles in that position. They are also keen to add a more adventurous midfielder to their ranks, with Barcelona ace Frenkie de Jong having been identified as their leading target to solve that particular problem.
READ MORE: How Manchester United midfield rebuild can start with Frenkie de Jong transfer
United, as reported by the Manchester Evening News last month, are understood to be weighing up a big-money offer for the Dutchman. He worked with Ten Hag at Ajax and the United chief is understood to be keen on being reunited with him.
If United are successful in their efforts, it will see De Jong reunited with former Ajax team-mate Donny van de Beek. The duo were instrumental together in Amsterdam and each played key roles in helping the Dutch giants reach the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.
With that in mind, it is possible that Ten Hag could try and replicate that combination at Old Trafford, even if the circumstances and other tools available to him are very different. Below, MEN Sport has taken a look at three ways United could line-up with the pair of them, excluding other linked transfer targets.
4-3-3 (1)
In the event of United being unable to source a defensive-midfielder this summer, it is possible that De Jong could be tasked with being the Reds' deepest operator and the man responsible for offering a layer of protection to the back-four. He has played in that role for Barcelona, meaning it would not be completely unfamiliar to him, but it is not his preferred position.
He is renowned for playing in a more advanced role, operating between the lines as a box-to-box-type player. However, his range of passing could enable him to dictate a game from deep, even if he is not renowned for full-blooded challenges and being a tenacious tackler.
If he was deployed in that role, Van de Beek, who also likes to drive forward, could play just ahead of him, likewise Bruno Fernandes. However, a midfield trio of De Jong, Van de Beek and Fernandes lacks a defensive nous, meaning it may be nothing more than a last resort option to Ten Hag.
4-3-3 (2)
To blood De Jong in his natural position, allowing him to get on the ball between the lines and roam forward, United would have to deploy either Scott McTominay, James Garner or Fred in the holding-midfield role, unless they recruit the defensive-midfielder they desperately crave.
Should that happen, De Jong could be joined by either Fernandes or Van de Beek in a midfield-three, with more of an onus on that pair to drive forward. Fernandes is considered as United's senior attacking-midfielder, but Van de Beek is capable of moving up the pitch, too.
In his natural No.8 role, De Jong, as he often has throughout his career, would be able to get on the ball and dictate proceedings. It is his natural habitat and United's supporters would love to see him strut his stuff from that area of the team.
4-2-3-1
Presuming Ten Hag continues with a system that requires just one striker, it is possible that he could deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation. If that was the case, it could see De Jong deployed in a double pivot in front of the back four, with Van de Beek lending support.
However, as that would carry the same degree of risk as the first 4-3-3 system, Van de Beek could push up into the No.10 position and replace Fernandes, with Ten Hag likely to rotate his pack at different junctures throughout the season. De Jong could then be joined by McTominay, Garner or Fred in the double pivot, although United need a new and improved defensive-midfielder.
Van de Beek loves to get forward and make things happen, even if he has not proven that on these shores. He scored ten goals and grabbed 11 assists in his last season as an Ajax player, so if anyone knows how to get him hitting similar numbers again it is Ten Hag.
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