Erik ten Hag confirms he wanted to bring €85m star to Man United in 2022
03/05/2024 20:57
Man United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted that he wanted Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong to join him at Old Trafford ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The former Ajax boss was preparing for his first season in the Premier League and the Barca midfielder was his primary target to help take United back to the top of the English game.
The Manchester club were prepared to deliver their new manager his man and even agreed a €85m fee with the Catalan club for the transfer of the Dutch star. However, Man United failed to convince the Netherlands international to move to Old Trafford as the 26-year-old wanted to stay at Barcelona for many more years.
Almost two years later, Ten Hag has now confirmed that he wanted De Jong to join Man United in 2022 and planned to use him beside Casemiro.
"Yes, it would have been De Jong and Casemiro playing and complementing each other," the Man United boss has said via Fabrizio Romano.
"But in the last decade and in this period, we couldn't always get the players we wanted. You have to accept that."
Frenkie de Jong would not have changed things at Man United
Although De Jong would have been an incredible signing for Man United to complete, it would not have prevented the current state the Manchester club currently find themselves in.
This season has been a disaster for United and it could result in Ten Hag losing his job.
The Premier League giants have had many transfers go wrong over the last few years and it has had a dramatic effect on Ten Hag's squad. Many of the players the Dutch coach currently has at his disposal are just not good enough and De Jong alone would not have fixed their issues.
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