Dean Jones has claimed that Manchester United are still in the driving seat regarding the signing of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer.
The midfielder has been at the centre of one of the transfer sagas of the summer, with plenty of back and forth between Barcelona and Man United. The Catalan club’s president Joan Laporta has stated that De Jong is not for sale. However, they may not have a choice in the situation, with the midfielder’s unpaid wages potentially forcing Barcelona’s hand.
Speaking on The Football Terrace’s Done Deal Show, Jones said: “My information is that it’s still Man United in the driving seat on this one.”
“It’s definitely a deal that’s crawling towards completion rather than accelerating over the line.”
It certainly seems as though the deal is one that could drag on as the summer continues. We’ve already seen several twists and turns, from unpaid wages to Laporta claiming that De Jong is not for sale. According to Jones, however, United are still in the driving seat.
TIF Thoughts on Frenkie de Jong…
Part of the Ajax side which reached the Champions League semi-final in 2019 under Erik ten Hag, De Jong could reportedly reunite with his former manager at Old Trafford this summer. And it’s fair to say that he would improve United’s midfield.
According to Fbref, De Jong outperformed Fred in a lot of departments, creating more chances, enjoying a better aerial duel success rate and completing more progressive carries. Based on the numbers, De Jong would offer Manchester United a significant upgrade in midfield.
Ten Hag will be well aware of just how good De Jong is, too, having previously worked with him at Ajax and it is apparent Xavi has high hopes for the midfielder – labelling him “extraordinary“.