Aheed Abrar
Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United already have a capable midfield even if Frenkie de Jong doesn’t sign
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag believes the Red Devils already have a squad filled with talented midfielders. The Dutch manager feels even if Frenkie de Jong doesn’t sign, the squad at his disposal is good enough.
United have been going after the Barcelona midfielder for some time now. The Holland international played under Ten Hag at Ajax in the Amsterdam club’s most successful period in recent years.
But the new gaffer, speaking to the press via the Metro, was asked about the Old Trafford side’s interest in De Jong but avoided answering. Instead, Ten Hag spoke about making the right signings for the club.
“We want Frenkie? I don’t know. No, hey, it’s about the right players and there are many. But I cannot give comments on a player who is under contract at another club. When we have news, we will give it.”
United’s midfield
United’s current midfield includes the likes of Fred, Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes from last season. The trio played a significant amount of minutes for the Red Devils in the middle of the park.
The Portuguese has been one of our best players over the years. The former Sporting CP star’s 2021/22 campaign wasn’t his best in a red shirt. But the 27-year-old contributed with an acceptable amount of goals and assists.
And Ten Hag feels the current crop of midfielders in the squad have performed well. The former Ajax boss is adamant that even if De Jong isn’t signed, the engine room already has players in the squad.
“Then you work with the current squad, and you develop players who are in your current squad. In this moment we have players in that position and they perform really well.”
United have made some decent signings this summer. And a midfielder has been part of the incoming at the Old Trafford side. Christian Eriksen has signed for the Red Devils as a free agent this summer.
But fans are crying out for a box-to-box midfielder like De Jong. We lost Paul Pogba at the end of last season. The Dutch midfielder has been decent at Barcelona playing in the number eight role. The 25-year-old can also play in the pivot.
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Whether Ten Hag truly believes in his statements is something we cannot speculate about. But fans can notice the lack of an elite midfielder to support the defence and be impactful in the final third.
