da bet7： Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has made current Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong one of his top summer transfer targets as he looks to strengthen his team.
What’s the latest on Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United?
da dobrowin： According to talkSPORT, ten Hag has made his former Ajax starlet one of his top targets ahead of the summer transfer window and it could represent a second bite of the cherry for the Dutchman as the Red Devils eye another swoop for the gem.
Last summer, United had reportedly agreed on an £85m fee with Barcelona over the midfielder, however, due to his reluctance to leave Spain, the move didn’t materialise.
With Champions League qualification potentially on the way, adding some more quality into the centre of his midfield could be a key priority for the manager and de Jong certainly fits the bill.
Could De Jong be an upgrade on Fred?
The Old Trafford side have motored through the gears since Christmas, losing just once across all competitions and Ten Hag looks to finally be enjoying the fruit of his labours, although there is still a long way to go in order for the Red Devils to win bigger prizes.
Marcus Rashford’s goals, solid defence and a midfield which fights for every ball have all combined to ensure United are still in with a shot of winning four trophies this term, but there is still improvement needed.
De Jong could certainly add something extra in the midfield axis, partnering Casemiro to devastating effect, while being a big upgrade on Fred in the process.
Indeed, this season, the Dutchman has outperformed Fred across a variety of metrics, having more shots on target (eight to five), higher passing accuracy (89.4% to 79.7%), more goal-creating actions (six to four) and winning more aerial duels (61.5% to 37.5%).
Not only that, but the Barcelona midfielder also averages more key passes (1.1 to one), touches (71.4 to 36.5) and successful dribbles (70% to 50%), clearly proving that de Jong would be a better option in the long term for ten Hag as the maestro could offer more in and out of possession.
The 5 foot 11 sensation was described as a “generational genius” by football writer Muhammad Butt late last year and in order to take this United side to the next level, players of De Jong’s quality should be targeted.
With Casemiro screening the back four with his wonderful defensive ability, evidenced by the fact he ranks in the top 7% across Europe’s top five leagues for tackles made per 90 by midfielders over the last 365 days, de Jong could focus on providing a more attacking threat and, as proven, he is a major upgrade on Fred.
This partnership could take the club to the next level and with a big jump in the competition next season, Ten Hag won’t want to be left behind.