A Manchester United deal for Frenkie De Jong looks impossible right now, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Dutch midfielder has been linked with a move to Old Trafford for a long time, and United were heavily interested in the summer. However, the 25-year-old is happy at Barcelona and has no intention of leaving.
De Jong is not a guaranteed starter at the club, with youngsters Pedri and Gavi, as well as veteran Sergio Busquets ahead of him in the pecking order, and has been inconsistent at times since joining from Ajax in 2019.
He worked under Erik ten Hag at Ajax as his side reached the Champions League semi-finals, and the United manager is keen to work with De Jong again.
Speaking on the Here We Go Podcast (7.23), Romano explained why a move to United does not look likely any time soon.
“Let me clarify one thing, it’s true, and we know that Man United want De Jong, Erik ten Hag is in love with De Jong, so this is not new,” Romano stated.
“Man United will always want Frenkie De Jong, but what is the point? Last summer it was not only Man United, Chelsea wanted Frenkie De Jong too.
“Chelsea were prepared to pay more than Man United for De Jong at one point in the summer, so it is not only Man United if Frenkie changes his mind, but also Chelsea.”
TIF thoughts on De Jong…
Whilst he is far from the finished article, De Jong still has a lot to offer at Barcelona and could be the long-term replacement for Busquets, who could leave within the next year.
United moved on from him in the summer to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid, but are still interested in the midfielder who could play alongside him, and De Jong is a player they have identified as their ideal target.
He would be a valuable asset for both Chelsea and United, but it seems clear that he does not want to leave, and even if Barcelona want to sell him to generate funds, it would take a huge u-turn for him to change his mind and depart the club.