Man Utd ‘remain interested’ in Barcelona star despite Man City barging into race; Ten Hag still desperate to sign him

Manchester United reportedly ‘remain interested’ in Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who has also been linked with Manchester City recently.

It’s well-known that Erik ten Hag is a big admirer of the Netherlands international, who the manager knows very well from their time together at Ajax.

Man Utd have been trying to sign De Jong for two seasons now after first being linked with him in the summer of 2022. Despite making multiple bids to Barcelona, they were unable to agree a deal.

De Jong signed for the Catalans in 2019 and has become one of their most important players. The midfielder has made 188 appearances in all competitions for Xavi’s side, scoring 16 goals and making 21 assists.

In the process, De Jong has helped Barcelona to lift one LaLiga title, a Spanish Super Cup and a Copa del Rey. He also won two trophies with Ajax, so could help bring a winning mentality to the Man Utd dressing room.

Barcelona will not let De Jong go easily, though, so it would require a sizeable bid in January to get a deal over the line.

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Ten Hag ‘still wants’ to sign De Jong

According to reports from Spain (as cited by GOAL), Man Utd ‘remain interested’ in signing De Jong and are considering a move for him at the end of the season.

Ten Hag allegedly ‘still wants’ to sign the Dutchman. The manager has brought in two new midfielders this season – Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat (loan with option to buy) – but it is still an area that requires improvement.

Scott McTominay has been heavily linked with a departure from Old Trafford for some time, so Man Utd will need to bring in a replacement for him eventually. Casemiro is already past his prime at the age of 31, too.

It seems that De Jong remains Ten Hag’s primary transfer target to bolster his midfield. As noted by TEAMtalk, however, Man City have also been linked with a move for the 26-year-old, so the Red Devils face competition for his signature.

Reports suggest that Barcelona could swap De Jong for their long-term target Bernardo Silva, who is keen on a switch to the Camp Nou.

De Jong is valued at approximately £70m by the LaLiga champions. With that in mind, Man Utd will have to make an offer close to that fee to have any chance of getting a deal done.

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