Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag reportedly wants the club to make another effort to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona in the January transfer window.
The Dutch midfielder was the Red Devils’ top transfer target in the summer and a move looked likely after they agreed a £63 million fee with the Catalans.
However, the Premier League giants ultimately failed to get a deal over the line as the 25-year-old wanted to stay at Camp Nou. The move also failed because of the huge wages Barcelona owed to De Jong.
Despite being unsuccessful in the summer, Ten Hag still wants United to make renewed efforts to sign the Netherlands international in January, according to Sport.
The midfielder has seen reduced game time under Xavi this season, starting only four La Liga matches so far.
However, that hasn’t changed his mind as his priority is still said to remain at the Blaugrana.
Manchester United splashed an enormous £70 million to bring Casemiro from Real Madrid after failing to land De Jong. But the two are completely different types of players and bring different qualities to the team.
Casemiro sits deeper and is mostly known for his defensive contributions while the Dutch footballer is typically deployed in a more advanced role.
Ten Hag is one of the best managers in the world. He has brought a great improvement at Old Trafford this season but knows they are still very far from the levels of Manchester City.
If the former Ajax boss is pushing so hard for De Jong, it means how good a player he is and what he can do for the Red Devils.
But despite their best efforts, a move can only happen if the 25-year-old is willing to join united.
