Frenkie de Jong, a midfielder for Barcelona, has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United.
Manchester United's midfield difficulties will not be solved by signing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, according to Craig Burley. Barcelona are apparently closing in on Erik ten Hag's club as they try to gather finances for their chase of Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski.
Despite being willing to pay up to £70 million for the former Ajax midfielder, Burley believes he will not be able to address United's midfield problems on his own. "Not one player," the ex-Chelsea midfielder told ESPN. “[Scott] [Nemanja] McTominay is basically a big, robust up-and-downer. Matic is gone, [Paul] Pogba is gone, and I must confess that I am not Fred's biggest fan,So, no, there's only one player. No, one player isn't going to solve the entire situation."
United have let midfielders Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, and Jesse Lingard to go on free transfers, with the quartet's contracts expiring at the end of the month. De Jong had hoped to stay at the Nou Camp, but the Spanish giants' determination to sell has made the prospect of reuniting with his old Ajax coach at Old Trafford more appealing. United is expected to pay £60 million upfront, with a further £10 million paid in installments throughout the course of De Jong's deal.
De Jong, Frenkie Manchester United is a football club based in England
Frenkie de Jong, a midfielder for Barcelona, has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United. (Image)
Ten Hag's personal communication to De Jong, in which the Dutch manager tells De Jong that he is "planning to bring the good times back" to United, is said to have been a crucial role in the 25-year-change old's of heart. When he returns from international duty, the midfielder might be United's first summer signing, given they appear to have missed out on Benfica striker Darwin Nunez. The 22-year-old Uruguayan has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford, but he appears to prefer a move to Liverpool as a Sadio Mane replacement.
De Jong did, however, express his wish to remain in Barcelona earlier this month. "I'm confident enough in myself [to succeed in Barcelona].He stated, "I am not afraid." "I recently had a long conversation with the trainer [Xavi]." That was an excellent discussion.
Burley, Craig De Jong, Frenkie Manchester United is a football club based in England
Manchester United's midfield problems will not be solved by Frenkie de Jong, according to Craig Burley. (Photo courtesy of ESPN)
"I'm not going to get into that [the United connections]." There's no mention of additional names or clubs. I used to be open-minded and naive about it. That is something I no longer do. That connection, I understand, has been established.
"It's not a tough sum; it's logical." I've liked working with Ten Hag at Ajax – and, of course, I can't predict the future. But I'd rather stay in Barcelona."
Following the Netherlands' 0-0 draw with Poland on Saturday, he was asked about his future again and said, "I can't say anything."
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