Man Utd target drops fresh hint over future as Ten Hag prepares to look elsewhere
Long-term Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong has clarified his stance on Barcelona as Erik ten Hag prepares to look elsewhere for a midfielder.
De Jong was a primary target for Man United last summer, but a deal couldn’t be reached with Barcelona in the end.
The Dutch midfielder continues to be a player of interest for Ten Hag, although his recent comments have clarified his current transfer stance.
While Barcelona will look to sell players this summer, De Jong is focused on Barcelona and hopes to stick around for the foreseeable future.
“I feel good at Barcelona. If all goes well I will stay there,” De Jong recently told Telegraaf.
“You can never say it’s 100% in football but I suppose I’ll be at Barcelona next year.”
The Dutch midfielder started in 29 league matches for Barcelona and was used as a substitute on four occasions.
Scoring two goals and providing four assists, he had a solid campaign as Barcelona reclaimed the La Liga title.
His contract with the Catalan club runs until 2026 and so they are in no desperate rush to sell him.
De Jong himself is clearly set on sticking around in Spain and so Man United will be forced to consider some alternative options.
As the likes of Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay could leave this summer, Ten Hag is keen on signing some midfield reinforcements.
Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot continues to be a player of interest for Man United.
According to the latest reports, Man United have offered the Frenchman a deal as they look to land him on a free transfer.
However, Juventus are still working on a new deal for Rabiot which would put his move to Old Trafford in doubt.
Man United are also working on a deal for Chelsea’s Mason Mount, but have yet to come to an agreement over his valuation.
Elsewhere, signing a striker remains a priority for Man United this summer.
This season they only hit the back of the net 58 times in the Premier League, which was fewer than any other club who finished in the top six.
Attracting players to the club shouldn’t be an issue, particularly with the added lure of Champions League football.
However, with takeover talks continuing to rumble in the background, it remains to be seen how much money Ten Hag will have to spend this summer.
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