Manchester United have reportedly joined the race to sign Frenkie De Jong, who is also a target for La Liga rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid.
According to a report by The Sun, Frenkie De Jong is the subject of interest from Manchester United, who have had the player monitored this month. The Ajax prodigy is also being tailed by the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Tottenham, with an all out bidding war on the cards.
De Jong has become a hot property over the last few months, following his extraordinary rise at Ajax over the last twelve months or so. While the 2017-18 season may have been blighted by injuries, he has made enough impact to become a regular for the Dutch giants and break into the Netherlands National Side.
His exploits have unsurprisingly led to widespread interest in his services, with Barcelona holding a long-standing interest in him. Additionally, the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham are also in pursuit of the 21-year-old.
Barcelona were heavily linked with the likes of De Jong and Manchester United superstar Paul Pogba this past summer, as they sought to overhaul their midfield. In adding either of the two, Ernesto Valverde would have had a long-term midfield unit which would also include Philippe Coutinho and Arthur.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, are in real need of midfield reinforcements, considering Luka Modric still faces an uncertain future at the Bernabeu. With Mateo Kovacic also not guaranteed to return after his loan spell with Chelsea, De Jong is a viable target who could be a long-term successor to Modric.
But, the entry of Manchester United into the scheme of things spices things up a tad. Should Pogba indeed depart for Barcelona, the Premier League heavyweights will be in dire need of a solid replacement and the Ajax star could be just the player to bolster Jose Mourinho’s creative options in the middle of the park.
De Jong should be a viable target even if Pogba decides to stay put at Manchester United, as he could link up with the Frenchman in midfield. The report though, suggests that the Red Devils are plotting a January move for De Jong, which could be a tall order, considering he has already suggested that he will be staying at Ajax for the entirety of the current season.
But, Manchester United are hoping their good relationship with Ajax helps them usurp Barcelona and Real Madrid in pursuit of De Jong, although landing the youngster in January will still be a tough ask. Meanwhile, Tottenham are also vying for his signature, and a bidding war seems to be brewing.
It now remains to be seen if Manchester United are able to beat Barcelona and Real Madrid to De Jong’s signature in January, or if they are forced to wait until next summer to prevail in his pursuit.
