Manchester United have done what they set out to do this season by securing qualification for the 2023/24 edition of the Champions League in what has been an impressive debut campaign in charge for Erik Ten Hag.
The Dutchman has also achieved Carabao Cup glory this term. He will have the chance to bag a second piece of silverware this weekend when the Red Devils take on bitter rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
Once the dust settles following a long season for Manchester United, their attention will turn towards sizing up potential additions in the summer transfer window.
As per 90min, Manchester United were keen on bringing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong to Old Trafford and even made an offer to try and secure his services.
Mundo Deportivo via The Daily Express have given the Red Devils some fresh hope of reviving their interest in the Netherlands international, detailing that Barcelona may try to renegotiate De Jong's terms at Spotify Camp Nou amid rumours that the Catalan giants may have to recoup £176 million in the off-season before being able to sanction their transfer business.
Why is Frenkie De Jong so highly rated and should Manchester United pursue him?
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones thinks that De Jong would be a sensible signing from Manchester United that would fit Ten Hag's vision at the club more than someone like Neymar, who the Red Devils have been linked with recently.
Jones told FFC: "De Jong is a better signing than Neymar for Manchester United because he fits with the ethos of what and how he's actually trying to build. If you sign Neymar, it's not fixing any of the problems that you've got and it's also changing the dynamic of the dressing room in a way that might end up being negative."
ESPN reported earlier this year that Manchester United are not completely closed off to 'reigniting their interest' in De Jong and shared quotes from manager Ten Hag praising the player, as the 53-year-old stated: "Frenkie is an incredible player and for every club in the whole world he will strengthen the squad because he has a unique quality. "If you can get him in the squad your team will be stronger. In Spain he became even better. He's a fantastic player, plays out from the back, he always has time and it was a pleasure to work with him."
In 2022/23, the 26-year-old has made 42 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona and managed to register two goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.
There is an argument to say that De Jong could be a perfect partner in crime for Casemiro, potentially playing in a double-pivot style system with Bruno Fernandes helping to support attacking phases of play slightly higher up in either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 variation, which can sometimes be Ten Hag's go to, as per SPORF.
WhoScored shows that by comparing Casemiro and De Jong not to see who is better but rather looking at how they have both become consistent assets for their respective sides, you will find that they have achieved the exact same average match rating of 7.17 this term for their exploits on the pitch.
De Jong, who could cost around £63 million, ranks highly in his pass success rate, standing at 91.3%, which could bring some added composure in midfield and let Casemiro deal with winning duels. On the ground, the Brazil international who earns £350k-a-week at the Red Devils has snapped into 3.2 tackles per match across the campaign.
FBRef illustrates that De Jong is also a competent figure when it comes to providing chances to his teammates, having successfully carried out 109 shot-creating actions in La Liga in total.
Cited by Barca TV via The Manchester Evening News, Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo heaped praise on the former Ajax man in an interview, stating: "Here is the best midfielder in the world, Frenkie de Jong!"
With Manchester United known to be in the market for several additions this summer, bringing in £622k-a-week earner De Jong would be a masterstroke by Ten Hag and would potentially create a dynamite duo by fielding him beside Casemiro at Old Trafford.
