Manchester United are getting closer to striking a deal for Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong. Incoming manager Erik Ten Hag has previously worked with him before. He was the one who gave him his big break at Ajax. The two were a part of the historic class of 2018/19 that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.
After the memorable Champions League run, de Jong was snapped up by FC Barcelona in the summer of 2019. The deal was worth around 75 million pounds. It seemed like a reasonable fee at the time, owing to the immense talent the Dutch international had shown at a young age. He was expected to be the heir to Sergio Busquests in the centre of the park.
But unfortunately, de Jong could not reach similar heights for the La Liga giants. He joined them at a very unstable time and has played under 4 different managers already. Perhaps a reunion with the coach who brought the best out of him can be the solution to getting out of this rut.
Erik Ten Hag will recognize that United do not have the midfield prowess to compete with the top teams. De Jong will fit in like a glove in that case. The 25-year-old has enough experience and knows the manager’s system well enough to make an immediate impact.
Why Is Barca Selling De Jong?
The Blaugrana are going through a rough financial patch at the moment. Their expensive signings under Josep Bartmeou are biting them back at the moment. They have accumulated a lot of debt and have a large wage bill. It is making the registration of new signings difficult. To comply with La Liga regulations, they need to make some sales.
De Jong appears to be one of those assets which may generate a huge value. Earlier, they were unsure about selling him, but financial issues have left the matter beyond their control. A deal with United looks close now.
It is a sale that Barcelona may regret in the future. But to get new players right now, the sacrifice may be a necessary one.
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