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Manchester Evening News
Frenkie de Jong could finally get his wish of playing alongside Matthijs de Ligt at club level, with both still on Manchester United’s radar.
Long linked with Barcelona’s De Jong, United may find the midfielder within reach at last as the Spanish giants look to offload players. De Ligt, currently at Bayern Munich, is also still a potential option, despite the recent arrival of Leny Yoro.
The pair have a history with Ten Hag from their Ajax days and were nearly united at Barcelona before De Ligt chose Juventus, eventually moving to Bayern in 2022. Reflecting on De Ligt’s choice, De Jong commented in 2019: “He is still very young and is already like a star in Juventus. Of course, I would like to have played with him at Barcelona, but it was his decision.”
Despite the acquisition of Yoro, Ten Hag’s plans for the defence could include multiple additions, especially following the exits of Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala.
But bringing in De Ligt and/or Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite would hinge on United’s ability to balance the books and other transfer priorities in what is expected to be a busy summer as Ten Hag revamps his squad.
It is anticipated that acquiring De Ligt would cost United close to £42million, while Everton place Branthwaite’s worth at between £70million and £80million. United’s prime target, however, was Yoro.
Recently-installed sporting director Dan Ashworth said: “Leny is one of the most exciting young defenders in world football. He possesses every attribute needed to develop into a top-class centre-back. Having had such an excellent start to his career we are excited to support him in reaching his immense potential here at Manchester United.”