Frenkie de Jong was never really an option for Manchester United, as the Dutchman never wanted to leave Barcelona.
According to a report by Caught Offside, Frenkie de Jong was never a realistic option for Manchester United in the summer. The Dutch midfielder wanted to continue at Barcelona and is already looking forward to the current season, as the Red Devils were reportedly settled on bringing Manuel Ugarte.
Manchester United’s links to Frenkie de Jong
Manchester United’s links to Frenkie de Jong have persisted ever since Erik ten Hag became the manager at Old Trafford. The Dutch tactician once coached the midfielder at Ajax and has been linked with a reunion for the third summer running.
Manchester United reportedly established contact for de Jong during the summer as Ten Hag was keen to sign a top-draw midfielder in the window. Barcelona, on the other hand, were struggling financially to cope with La Liga’s rules, which nearly prevented them from registering for the summer signing of Dani Olmo.
For the Blaugrana, reducing the wage bill was their biggest task, and De Jong’s salary of more than € 700,000 per week was a cause for concern. Reports stated that Barcelona would accept a fee of more than €80 million, although new manager Hansi Flick wanted the club to block any exit for the midfielder.
For de Jong, leaving the club was not something he wanted, as he is well settled in the city and wanted to continue playing a starring role. Moreover, an ankle injury right before the Euros ensured there weren’t any serious suitors out there. Now, the report has claimed that de Jong was never a realistic option for Manchester United, as he stated the club were always keen on Manuel Ugarte, who arrived from PSG.
Erik ten Hag may have wanted de Jong
Much like the summer of 2022, Ten Hag would have preferred to take Frenkie de Jong and reunite him with some of his other ex-Ajax teammates. In the summer, Manchester United brought in Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, who were de Jong’s former teammates at Ajax.
A move might have been possible had Manchester United made a big bid for the 27-year-old Barcelona star. However, there were mitigating factors, such as the midfielder’s wages as well as his asking price, which may have prevented them from making a deal. Hence, they settled for Ugarte, which is a relatively low-cost acquisition compared to De Jong, and they were also paid lower wages.
