Pranav Kannan
Ronald Koeman offers a damning report on Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong
Speaking in an interview on the latest Vaques Sagrades episode as quoted by Manchester Evening News, former Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has offered a damning report on Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong.
Man United’s pursuit of the Dutchman is no news with De Jong being the topic of constant discussion ever since Erik ten Hag assumed responsibility as the new manager of the Red Devils. A fee is yet to be agreed with Barcelona though.
Having worked with him during their time in Amsterdam, Erik ten Hag knows exactly what to expect from De Jong as a player and although he must have changed during his time at Barcelona, the Dutch manager will know how to get the best out of him.
De Jong at Barcelona has been a bit of an enigma. His abilities as a player are never in question but his performances on the field are considered to be rather inconsistent. He has failed to win over that Camp Nou faithful completely and hence a move could be an option.
However, that may not be the case as former Barcelona and Oranje boss Ronald Koeman suggests. The Dutch manager says that de Jong wants to stay in Spain and is not looking to move to England.
“All I know is that Frenkie wants to stay with Barca. That is what he said a few days ago. But I don’t know if Barca want to sell him or should sell him, because they need money. He is one of the few people for whom a lot of money can be asked.”
This quote is definitely not welcome news for any Man United fan and is rather contrary to the reports we have been reading recently in the media. If the player does not want to leave the Camp Nou, Man United’s pursuit to agree a deal with Barcelona might be a futile attempt.
Man United are yet to make a signing since Erik ten Hag took charge and there is a feeling that they are pinning all their hopes on Frenkie de Jong to be the statement signing. It would be wise for the Red Devils to look at other options though.
If the 25-year-old decides against moving to Old Trafford, then Man United will have to find some other midfielder to play a crucial role in ten Hag’s project. Whilst it still isn’t evident as to who the alternative is, trust the Dutch manager and the decision-makers to be planning something behind the scenes.
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Man United can hope to change Frenkie de Jong’s mind, but they cannot linger too long on a single player as it is never advisable to put all our eggs in one basket as we seem to be doing now.
