Ten Hag reunion at Man Utd ‘seduces’ Ronald Koeman ‘orphan’ – summer transfer a ‘reality’
A reunion with Erik ten Hag has reportedly ‘seduced’ Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong, with a summer transfer to Manchester United now a ‘reality’, according to reports.
There have been multiple rumours of Ten Hag’s interest in bringing De Jong – whom he worked with at Ajax – to Old Trafford as one of his first United signings this summer.
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It was reported on Wednesday that Ten Hag wants to make the Dutch international the ‘cornerstone’ of his United project and it’s now an ‘open secret’ that the 52-year-old manager wants to work with De Jong.
Sport (via Sport Witness) now claim that a potential move for De Jong to United appears to be a ‘reality’ in an article titled: ‘Frenkie, orphan of Ronald Koeman’.
The report states that De Jong is struggling at Barcelona following the dismissal of manager Ronald Koeman, who also handed the midfielder his first international cap.
The pair were ‘close’ and the ‘chemistry’ between them existed on and off the pitch.
It’s claimed that ‘although Xavi Hernández has always supported him, both publicly and privately, the harmony with Koeman was special.’
De Jong is ‘now fading’ at Barcelona and ‘hit rock bottom’ in their 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano last weekend.
The report adds that the 24-year-old has ‘gone from one of the club’s great values for the future to being seen in the shop window as an option to make money this summer.’
De Jong’s girlfriend, Mikky Kiemeney, is also said to have shared a close bond with Koeman’s wife, and ‘now, nothing is the same’ following the manager’s exit from the club.
It’s for these reasons that a move to Old Trafford is now a ‘reality’ for De Jong, who enjoyed the best part of his career under Ten Hag as they completed the Dutch double and got to the Champions League semi-final in 2019.
The report ends with the claim that ‘a return to the origins can seduce you’.
