Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United to battle Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich to seal Frenkie de Jong transfer
According to The Sun, Manchester United are set to face competition from European heavyweights Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City to secure the services of Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong in the summer.
The midfielder has been in fine form for Barca since his move from Ajax Amsterdam in 2019, establishing himself as a regular in the side. The Dutchman has continued to impress at the Nou Camp, catching the attention of several other clubs.
United are one of the sides who are looking to snap him up at the end of the season in an attempt to bolster their midfield. Their current crop of options has been unable to hold their own against stronger opposition, highlighting a need for reinforcements in the summer.
It is also no secret that Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba are set to leave the club this summer- which leaves two significant voids to fill in our midfield.
Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is set to take over as the Red Devils’ new permanent manager ahead of the new campaign, and the squad is expected to undergo a rebuild under his tutelage. As part of this overhaul, the Dutchman has eyed de Jong as someone to improve his midfield.
de Jong the top summer transfer target
ten Hag met up with United’s football director John Murtough in Amsterdam after the end of the Eredivisie season to discuss what the future holds for the Manchester side. In the meeting, de Jong emerged as the club’s top transfer summer target, with ten Hag keen to reunite with his former player.
However, the Old Trafford outfit is aware that it will not be easy to prise the 25-year-old away from Barcelona as the player still has two years left on his contract. Further, there is expected to be heavy competition from the likes of Bayern, PSG, and City in the transfer window to secure his signature.
Admittedly, the other clubs interested in the Holland international can offer him Champions League football next season as well as the opportunity to win trophies in their respective leagues. Bayern and PSG have already secured this term’s league titles, while City currently leads the Premier League table.
United, on the other hand, are sitting in sixth position and have no hopes of qualifying for the UCL anymore. They are on course to secure a Europa League spot as things stand, but if they manage to slip up in the campaign’s final game, then West Ham United could pip them to secure their spot. This would leave the Manchester side playing Europa Conference League football next season.
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However, the Red Devils offer de Jong the chance to reunite with his former Ajax manager, who is expected to build a new-look squad at Old Trafford. The Dutchman could very well be the face of the team’s midfield and play alongside former teammate Donny van de Beek. The two were electric together in Amsterdam and hopefully, can conjure some of that magic for us in the future.
ten Hag and de Jong managed to win the domestic double in Holland and earned plaudits for reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019 during their time together at Ajax. United fans will expect the same from the duo in Manchester if the player ends up making the move to the Theatre of Dreams.
