In a recent report, Sport mentioned that Barcelona ace Frenkie de Jong could leave in January after Manchester United and their failed bid to land him this summer. It has been revealed that the Dutch midfielder’s exit from the Nou Camp this winter cannot be ruled out with the Red Devils still looking to strengthen their squad by recruiting him.
De Jong’s Decent Numbers At Barcelona Last Season
De Jong had an impressive season with Barca recently after he put in several dominant displays for them at the centre of the park. The 25-year-old participated in 45 matches for the Catalan giants in the previous campaign, finding the back of the net on four occasions and securing five assists across multiple competitions.
The Dutch sensation gave a good account of himself at the heart of Xavi’s midfield by averaging 1.1 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 0.5 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.6 dribbles per game in the 2021-22 La Liga season. He even distributed possession with conviction from midfield based on his pass success rate of 91.3% in the Spanish first division (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Nou Camp is set to run out in the summer of 2026. Hence, Man United will have to make a sizable offer if they want to win the race to sign him this January.
Should Manchester United Boss Erik ten Hag Go Back For De Jong This Winter?
De Jong is a decent tackler of the ball and can make some important interceptions for his side at the centre of the park. He has got the vision to engineer some good plays for others around him and can make a few promising runs towards the opponent’s penalty box. De Jong is primarily a box-to-box midfielder but can also function as a defensive midfielder if needed.
The Dutch midfield ace can even strike the ball well from long range but needs to work on improving his productivity in the final third.
At 25, De Jong is about to enter his peak and would be a great, marquee acquisition for the Red Devils this winter. We can expect the Netherlands international to add more creativity and dynamism to Erik ten Hag‘s midfield. He might even help the Mancunian giants secure a top-four spot in the Premier League this season.
With all things considered, it makes sense for Manchester United to go back in for De Jong when the transfer window reopens at the start of next year.
