Manchester United fans had likely hoped they’d heard the last of Frenkie de Jong following the tedious saga they endured during Erik ten Hag’s maiden transfer window.
Back in the summer of 2022, the Red Devils saw a £63 million bid for De Jong accepted by Barcelona after Ten Hag set his sights on a reunion with his former Ajax protegee – yet the Dutch international wasn’t too fond of the idea himself.
Drawn-out negotiations saw United do their utmost to convince him of a move to Old Trafford, with the player being specifically targeted to play an integral role in the project Ten Hag was about to build.
De Jong wasn’t budging in his stance, though, and made it clear that his desire was to stay at Barcelona, having only sealed his dream move to the Camp Nou three years prior.
Alas, the United board were eventually forced to accept defeat in their attempts and, instead, pursue other alternatives. They went on to hold talks with Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot – who was thought to be demanding extortionate wages before a deal failed to materialise – and proceeded to test Real Madrid’s resolve with a bid for experienced veteran Casemiro.
Reds to revive interest in longstanding Ten Hag target
Following a campaign in which the Brazilian looked well past his best, the club are back on the market scouring No.6 options, and, as such, Football365 has relayed fresh reports coming out of Spain this morning that claim the Reds have reignited their interest in De Jong and submitted an ‘irresistible offer’ in hopes of finally luring him to Manchester.
One factor that could also sway the 27-year-old in United’s favour is that they’re also actively pursuing his compatriot – and ex-Ajax teammate – Matthijs de Ligt, although their opening bid was around £13m below Bayern Munich’s £42m asking price.
