Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong issues clear message to Manchester United amid fresh summer transfer links
Erik ten Hag has always wanted De Jong at Manchester United
Frenkie de Jong insists he is’very happy’ at Barcelona and wants to stay for’many years’ despite new reports linking him to a move to Manchester United.
Last summer, Erik ten Hag wanted to bring De Jong to Old Trafford, and United made multiple bids for the Dutch international.
Barcelona was willing to sell De Jong, but he refused, forcing Ten Hag to look elsewhere for midfield reinforcements.
Manchester United signed Casemiro and Christian Eriksen last summer, but De Jong, who joined Barcelona from Ajax in 2019, remains a target.
Ten Hag is expected to sign a new midfielder this summer, with De Jong at the top of his list.
Manchester United, on the other hand, may need to abandon their pursuit of De Jong, who has stated that he is’very happy’ at Barcelona and intends to stay for’many years’.
‘I’m very calm here, very happy in Barcelona,’ he told RAC1 radio in Spain. ‘I hope to stay at Barca for a long time.’
De Jong was a member of the Barcelona team that was eliminated from the Europa League by Manchester United last month.
Before the first leg at the Nou Camp, Paul Scholes, an Old Trafford legend, urged his former club to rekindle their interest in De Jong.
‘Of course,’ Scholes said when asked if United should make another bid for the Dutchman.
‘He is a fantastic footballer, and I agree with Owen [Hargreaves] that he is better in the pivot position as a Busquets type.
‘I believe he was brought here to replace Busquets, but Busquets is still playing. I believe he is better suited to that role.
‘I don’t believe he [de Jong] enjoys playing in that forward position. However, he is better in that holding role where he replaces Busquets, in my opinion.’
‘You would love to see Frenkie de Jong play at Old Trafford, he can play deeper as a pivot or a little bit further forward, which I think is his best position,’ said former Manchester United midfielder Hargreaves.
‘He’s a fantastic footballer who can dribble and I think United fans will be looking out for him today, but I’m sure all the big teams in the Premier League would love to have him because he makes you that much better,’ says one United fan.
Manchester United were thrashed 7-0 by Liverpool in their last Premier League match and will play Southampton on Sunday.
