JUST IN || Man United open to signing £74m phenom, he could be an “incredible” Fred upgrade

Manchester United’s high-profile pursuit of Frenkie de Jong ended without a reward as the summer transfer window closed, but new reports suggest the club may revisit their earlier interest.

The Red Devils’ interest in De Jong last summer was hotter than a blazing flame, with efforts to secure the FC Barcelona maestro’s signing culminating in comments from the likes of Sky Sports Germany writer Florian Plettenberg suggesting a deal was “on the verge” of being done.

However, as the summer transfer crisis dragged on, the Dutchman’s arrival in Manchester faded from view, with the player opting out of a move due to United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.

The Manchester Evening News reports that United manager Erik ten Hag has not given up hope on a deal, implying that the club is still interested in signing him. It’s thought the United boss rates him as a world-class talent.

A Fred enhancement
To surge back into the pool and emerge with De Jong in tow would be a tremendous triumph for the red side of Manchester, a statement signing that epitomizes a golden new dawn under ten Hag’s direction.

De Jong has retained his standing as one of football’s finest midfielders after joining Barcelona from hometown club AFC Ajax in a £65 million deal in 2019, making 157 appearances and scoring 15 goals and 19 assists, winning the 2020/21 Copa del Rey.

He has been a positive force for La Blaugrana throughout his career, with a rating of 7.28 in La Liga this season, a pass success rate of 90%, 1.5 tackles, and 1.2 interceptions per game.

The transformation of the Red Devils’ midfield would be profound, establishing a sense of stability and laying the groundwork for significant upheaval.

In retrospect, the 50-cap ace had an average rating of 6.71 in the Premier League this season, completing only 81% of his passes from his hardworking duty and averaging just 0.8 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game.

The Brazilian Fred, who joined from Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee of £52 million plus bonuses, has largely failed to live up to the price tag, and there is an overarching sense that the Theatre of Dreams’ central engine would receive a huge boost with the arrival of De Jong, bolstering the squad’s collective fortunes.

Man United agreed to pay Barcelona £74m for the 25-year-old in the summer, to no eventual avail. Now, a deal must be struck for this “amazing” midfield genius, as termed by Louis van Gaal, so that he can strike a blow into the Red Devils’ opponents and lead the renowned club to success once more.