New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be 'monitoring' the situation of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong ahead of the summer transfer window.
What's the story?
That's according to transfer insider Pete O'Rourke, who said to GIVEMESPORT: “I’m sure Ten Hag will be monitoring his situation.
"They’ve enjoyed success together in the past, and De Jong would be a big upgrade in that Man United midfield, if they were able to sign him.”
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The current Ajax boss coached De Jong before the midfielder's move to the Catalan giants, and he could be keen to reunite with the 24-year-old at Old Trafford.
United need De Jong
Ten Hag is set to lead a major squad overhaul this summer, with the Dutchman having a serious rebuilding job ahead of him in Manchester.
The likes of Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard are all set to leave this summer upon the expiry of their contracts, whilst further outgoings is incredibly possible.
Therefore, adding new faces to the United squad is an absolute must for the 52-year-old, who will take charge of the Premier League giants from July.
With Pogba and Matic leaving, an entire restructuring of the midfield could be possible, with De Jong at the heart of it. As a result, Brazilian midfielder Fred could also be on his way out of Old Trafford.
The 29-year-old has been a regular this season under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, making 33 appearances across all competitions. In fact, he scored the first goal under Rangnick's management against Crystal Palace.
However, the Brazilian's contract is set to expire next summer, and the Red Devils may be keen to receive funds for the midfielder before he can leave as a free agent.
As for De Jong, the £63m-rated Dutchman has been an integral part of Barcelona's setup this season, making 43 appearances across all competitions, with Xavi Hernandez's team sitting third in La Liga. Moreover, at just 24, he already has 40 caps for the Dutch national team, and he had made 89 appearances for Ajax by the age of 22.
The Netherland international, who has been dubbed a "genius" by his manager, has averaged a 7.08 rating from Sofascore for his performances in La Liga this term, compared to Fred's 7.03 in the Premier League. Therefore, the former would likely supplant the Brazilian in United's line-up.
Having performed excellently under Ten Hag in Amsterdam, coming to Old Trafford could certainly be a decent prospect for De Jong. Indeed, his prospective signing could spell the end of Fred's much-maligned Manchester United tenure.
AND in other news: Man Utd handed setback in swoop for £60m "baller", Ten Hag will be furious