Manchester United have been widely linked with a move for Netherlands and Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
The Red devils new manager Erik ten Hag has made the Dutch his top target and want to reunite with his former midfield maestro he managed at Ajax few years ago.
Barcelona are open to the idea of selling the midfielder in order to cope financially, but Catalan’s are looking for a big fee in order to balance the books, with Joan Laporta eager to bring in Robert Lewandowski now the transfer window is open.
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Midfield reinforcements remain high on Erik ten Hag’s list of priorities with the Catalans demanding £85m price for the Dutchman but Man United are adamant they wont overpay for the 25-year-old midfielder.
A source is quoted as saying: “As much as De Jong is a player the club and Ten Hag admire, they’re not prepared to be Barcelona’s financial bail-out.”
De Jong, it’s stated, was initially reluctant to join United.
It is believed the reluctance was due to their failure to secure Champions League football, with the Red Devils finishing sixth in the Premier League table last time out.
According to Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils could walk away from a deal for De Jong if the price is not right. However, United are poised to move onto other potential alternatives should the deal for De Jong collapse.
Reports from Manchester suggests Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips could be one alternative the club are keeping in mind, though one imagines it would be difficult to convince the England international to move to Old Trafford.
Phillips is also being strongly linked with Manchester City by Football Insider, and that could be a more tempting move due to City generally being a far stronger team, while there also isn’t the same rivalry as there is between Leeds and United.
Man United had also been interested in another Ajax star Ryan Gravenberch, but the midfielder elected to join Bayern Munich despite speaking to Ten Hag about a switch to Old Trafford.
The 20 year old’s transfer to Bundesliga champions has now been officially comfirmed, a deal worth €18.5million.
The Dutch coach is believed to want two new midfielders, one of which is more creative and attack-orientated and the other being a more defence-conscious ball-winner.
Ruben Neves is another Premier League midfielder who could be on the move this summer. The Portuguese would be a fantastic addition to Old Trafford midfield.
The fact that he is comfortable playing either as a number six or a number eight makes him perfect for Ten Hag’s side. United could also face challenges from the struggling Catalan giants for the Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder.
Another name Manchester United could consider signing is Sporting CP and Portuguese midfielder Joao Palhinha. The 26-year-old has been excellent for his club over the last few seasons and is on high demand.
Palhinha is predominantly a number six with excellent defensive attributes, his addition would make United’s midfield a lot stronger and stable. Something the Old Trafford have been missing for years now.
Ibrahim Sangare is also another potential targets for Erik ten Hag, The PSV Eindhoven midfielder has already labelled the Premier League his “dream” move according to source.
The PSV Eindhoven midfielder has been linked with the Red Devils and Chelsea, and it appears that new United manager Erik ten Hag would have a much simpler task of bringing him to Old Trafford compared to his top target, Frenkie de Jong.
