ERIK TEN HAG is anxious to sign Frenkie de Jong this summer for Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag's determination to sign Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong would go a long way toward resolving a basic problem that Rio Ferdinand noticed with Manchester United last season. Ferdinand argued that United's difficulties extended far beyond personnel issues, and that the club need major surgery to fix their fortunes on the field.
Fans and experts alike have encouraged United to bring in an elite defensive midfielder to help balance the team. However, Ferdinand argued in October that simply buying a defensive midfielder would not fix the club's long-standing problems.
"We've all screamed out, all of the Man United fanbase is saying a defensive midfielder is needed," Ferdinand stated after United's humiliating defeat to Leicester earlier this season. I've been watching the last few games on TV. I don't think that player even tries to hide the flaws. I just believe that no player, no single individual, can completely change everything if the team's structure isn't based on principles or has no foundation."
Although Ferdinand's words were met with disapproval at the time, it looks that Ten Hag shares Ferdinand's viewpoint, as he has reportedly made signing De Jong his top priority this summer.
Erik ten Hag does not appear to be pursuing a defeasible position.
Erik ten Hag does not seem to be looking for a defensive midfielder.
Following United's failure to qualify for the Champions League, it appeared that a deal for the Dutch playmaker was out of the question. However, the 25-year-old has apparently changed his mind, and a record-breaking £70 million transfer appears to be on the cards.
De Jong has the technical ability to sit deep and draw the strings in midfield for United, but he isn't the type of enforcer that has been urged to join the club. But Ten Hag is familiar with De Jong from their time together at Ajax, when the Dutch international was a key component of the stylish, offensive style of play that the incoming Manchester United manager created in Amsterdam.
After the ill-fated tenure of interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who was unable to make an impact on a United side that crawled to their worst-ever Premier League finish, Ten Hag will be aiming to give the club a proper identity.
Frenkie de Jong will be Ten Hag's first Ma.
Ten Hag wants Frenkie de Jong to be his first Manchester United acquisition. (Image )
On paper, acquiring one of Ten Hag's most trusted lieutenants from his time at Ajax should make it much simpler for him to instill his philosophy in a United team that struggled to find its identity and plan for the duration of last season.
According to a fresh story from The Telegraph, Ten Hag believes that United's main problem is a lack of creativity in midfield, which he hopes to address with the purchase of De Jong.
De Jong would be a major upgrade over Manchester United's current midfield options, regardless of whether United needs more creativity or more steel in their engine room. If Ten Hag can once again build a system to get the best out of his former Ajax lynchpin and the players around him, De Jong would be a major upgrade over United's current midfield options.
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