In a recent report, The Times (subscription required) revealed that Manchester United are open to recruiting Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. It has been mentioned that the Reds remain keen on acquiring the Dutch midfield ace’s services next year.
De Jong’s Impressive Form For Barcelona This Season
De Jong is having a decent campaign at the Nou Camp as he has managed to put in a run of impressive displays at the centre of Xavi’s midfield. The 25-year-old has made 17 appearances for the Catalan club this season, finding the back of the net twice and earning one assist on all fronts.
The Dutch talent has been a consistent performer at the centre of the park based on his average of 1.5 tackles, 1.2 key passes, 1.0 shots, 1.4 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. He has even been excellent when distributing the ball from midfield after making 90.5% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Nou Camp is set to run out in the summer of 2026. Hence, the Red Devils will have to make a big offer if they are serious about bringing him to Old Trafford next year.
Should Manchester United Boss Erik Ten Hag Snap De Jong Up?
De Jong is a solid tackler of the ball and can make a few important interceptions for his team at the centre of the park. He has got the vision to unlock the opposition defence with a killer pass in the final third and can strike the ball with power and accuracy from long range. The Dutch sensation can also make some intelligent runs with the ball from midfield. He mainly functions as a box-to-box midfielder but can also fill in as a defensive midfielder if needed.
De Jong has what it takes to be a real success story at Old Trafford if Man United boss Erik ten Gag can find a way to get him on board this January or at the end of this campaign.
We can expect de Jong to inject more quality into ten Hag’s midfield and could go on to form a solid partnership with Casemiro at the Theatre of Dreams in the coming seasons.
At 25, de Jong will only get better in the future which makes him an ideal choice for the Red Devils to pursue in 2023. Therefore, the Mancunian giants should consider going all out to snap the Dutch midfielder up soon.
