Up-to-date information on Frenkie de Jong’s transfer to Manchester United, including the price, contract, position, and playing style
Up-to-date information on Frenkie de Jong’s transfer to Manchester United, including the price, contract, position, and playing style
Before the 2022–2023 Premier League season, Erik ten Hag’s Old Trafford inbox is filled with tasks he must complete in order to revive the club’s fortunes.
The challenge is apparent for the former Ajax head coach as Manchester United choose to name the 52-year-old as a permanent replacement for interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
Ten Hag’s top priority is to create a United team that can contend for major awards, and the club owners will support him in the summer transfer market.
After working together at Ajax, Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong is a top target; nevertheless, the Netherlands international is still unsure of his future plans.
Can Ten Hag have his reunion if Frenkie de Jong joins Manchester United?
Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard, and Juan Mata are all expected to leave United on free transfers, thus the Red Devils have been linked with a move for De Jong to improve their midfield options.
Ten Hag has singled out his former Ajax player as the ideal complement to the Red Devils’ powerhouse. Due to a variety of obstacles for United, any potential deal still seems to be sometime off.
Despite the stratospheric ascent of Pedri and Gavi and Barca’s well-known financial struggles, which would compel them to consider a sale, De Jong has maintained his position that he would want to stay and fight for his position at Camp Nou.
Although his opinion has apparently softened in recent weeks as the likelihood of a crucial role in Manchester for the 25-year-old becomes more apparent, United seems unfazed.
Of course, not just De Jong requires persuasion. Barca and United have recently been at odds over a prospective transfer fee: the Catalans, despite their well-documented financial difficulties, are adamant they won’t lose the player for a lower price, while the Red Devils are hesitant to pay above the going rate.
Barcelona paid an initial sum of €75 million (£64.3 million/$78.5 million) to acquire De Jong from Ajax in 2019, and they are hoping to return as much of that sum as they can. Reports state that United’s initial offer was about £45 million (€52 million/$55 million), which was turned down.
The teams have reached a ‘broad agreement’ about a transfer cost of €65 million (£56 million/$69 million) plus performance-related bonuses, according to a June 28 report from Sky Sports. Now, the smaller aspects need to be ironed out.
Contract, payment, and salaries for Frenkie de Jong
Making De Jong one of the club’s highest-paid players in 2022 is a key component of United’s charm offensive to lure him to Old Trafford.
The Daily Express claims that on the basis of a potential five-year contract, United is prepared to offer him a salary of £395,000 (€462,000/$486,000) per week.
With Cristiano Ronaldo due to leave United in the summer of 2019, De Jong would be paid somewhat less than the seasoned Portuguese player, who would be paid £400,000 (€467,000/$492,000) per week.
Based on his Barcelona-based weekly salary of £262,000 (€307,000/$323,000), De Jong would see a significant earnings rise. If both parties can come to terms on a fee, it will probably be predicated on concessions from the Blaugrana and be in the neighborhood of £60 million (€70 million/$73.8 million). Nevertheless, the club may be able to demand a larger price now that they have approved a deal with Barca Licensing & Merchandising that would help them with some of their debt issues.
What sort of player is Frenkie de Jong?
A clear-out is in progress at United in preparation for the upcoming season.
Together with a tactical revamp of their style, Ten Hag’s goal is to transform the mindset in an underwhelming United dressing room.
The addition of De Jong would be a statement of intent as he seeks to stabilize an unbalanced midfield and improve the level of play at Old Trafford.
After finishing 2021–2022, with the third-most through-balls among La Liga players and a pass completion percentage of 90% in domestic competition, his ability to play probing passes through midfield lines is the essential element he may contribute to United’s uninteresting central third.
No player matched De Jong’s rate in the Premier League in 2021–2022, based on players playing 90 minutes 25+ times, with midfielder Scott McTominay being the closest (85 percent ).
What position does Frenkie de Jong take in Man United’s starting lineup?
It will take some time at Old Trafford for Ten Hag and De Jong to achieve their pre-Ajax levels of excellence.
Matic, Fred, McTominay, and occasionally Pogba were chosen as the two holding midfielders by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Rangnick, with Bruno Fernandes playing an advanced position.
De Jong plays on the left in Barcelona’s tight three, which is led by Sergio Busquets and features the talented Pedri as his teammate.
It is necessary for Fred or McTominay to assume more positional responsibility and for Fernandes to move a little deeper in order to alter the makeup of United’s midfield and maximize De Jong’s performance.
De Jong excelled when he played in a defensive midfield two for Ajax, but if Ten Hag chooses that formation, he will be responsible for connecting Fernandes to Ronaldo and other attack-related players.
De Jong, who has a more diverse midfield portfolio, would protect against Pogba’s lack of defensive instincts, but in the absence of a top-notch No. 6 (Busquets), Ten Hag’s early development might result in the Ajax version of the player rather than the Barcelona player in 2022.
Up-to-date information on Frenkie de Jong’s transfer to Manchester United