Man Utd monitoring Frenkie De Jong transfer alternative from Ralf Rangnick’s shortlist for world No.1 midfielder
Frenkie De Jong’s future at Barcelona remains uncertain, and Manchester United have moved their attention to Manu Kone after Ralf Rangnick kept tabs on the midfielder.
Erik ten Hag is considering Manu Kone as a replacement for Frenkie De Jong while Manchester United waits for the Dutchman to make a decision on his future.
De Jong has been linked with a move to United since Ten Hag was named as the new United manager, with the pair previously working closely at Ajax. The possibility of De Jong reuniting with former Ajax and Netherlands teammate Donny van de Beek has only fueled speculation.
While De Jong mulls his options, Ten Hag is said to be evaluating alternatives from Ralf Rangnick’s shortlist. And Kone has stood out from the list compiled by the previous temporary CEO.
According to L’Equipe, United have joined the likes of Atletico Madrid and Juventus in their pursuit of Kone, who has impressed at Borussia Monchengladbach. The 21-year-old only joined from Toulouse last summer, but he has already made 27 Bundesliga appearances.
During that time, Kone scored two goals and helped his team finish tenth in the Bundesliga. Despite the fact that Kone only joined Monchengladbach last summer, he was on Rangnick’s radar even before the German joined United last year.
United are desperate for midfield reinforcements, as they have been susceptible in that part of the game under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Rangnick this season. With the departures of Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, and Nemanja Matic, their problem has just become worse.
And De Jong, who is still unclear about his future at Barcelona, isn’t helping their summer preparations. De Jong is said to prefer staying and fighting for his spot at the club, but the Spanish giants are still in significant financial trouble.
As a result, they may be obliged to sell some of its key players during the summer transfer window, with De Jong among those chosen to leave. The Dutchman is still highly regarded, although Pedri, Gavi, and Sergio Busquets are all regarded as more valuable players in the group.
They’ve already begun to prepare for further trades, as Ten Hag is anxious to get his summer rebuild underway. United does not want the problem to drag on any longer, and according to SPORT, United has requested to know where he will be playing football next season.
With the departure of their current crop of midfield talents, Ten Hag is left with only Fred, Scott McTominay, Van De Beek, and Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park. However, with the Portuguese star playing more forward, both De Jong and Kone are being watched as deeper options.
United’s style could change, as Ten Hag frequently used a midfield three at Ajax, with De Jong playing alongside Lasse Schone and Van de Beek during Ajax’s historic 2018/19 Champions League run.
Although De Jong has declared that he wants to fight for his position, there have been claims that a £60 million deal has been tabled. However, United and Barcelona are waiting for the Dutchman’s decision before making any moves.
