Since Erik ten Hag became Manchester United manager in the summer of 2022, there has been a noticeable theme of the Red Devils’ transfers; they have signed ten players who have played in the Eredivisie at some stage of their career, whilst five of the squad, including two new signings, have played under him at Ajax and another, Sofyan Amrabat, at Utrecht.... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
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It has been ridiculed plenty of times by fans, neutrals and pundits alike, but it is not really something that can go unnoticed. Ten Hag prefers to sign players whom he knows or who have played in the top flight of the Netherlands at some stage.
The five players currently representing the Red Devils were also Ten Hag’s players at the legendary Dutch club. He signed Lisandro Martinez and Antony in his first season in charge, and Andre Onana last summer to be his long-term number-one goalkeeper. There are two more players set to join that list, as Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui have been all but confirmed as new United players, set to link up with their old teammates and old boss.
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Now, the Old Trafford club have been linked with a sixth player who could join that list before the transfer deadline on the 30th of August.
Man Utd target La Liga midfielder
The player in question here is Barcelona and Netherlands international midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The former Ajax player, who graduated from the Amsterdam club’s famous academy, has been linked with a move away from Barcelona for the past few summers.
According to reports from Spain, via TeamTalk, the Red Devils are set to restart their quest to sign De Jong this summer and are believed to have submitted a £42.6m bid. This comes after strong rumours the past two summers that Ten Hag desperately wanted to sign his former midfielder.
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However, Barca are believed to have rejected the bid for the talented Dutchman and are holding out for more money in order to accept a deal. Instead, United could well place a new bid of £59.7m plus £12.8m in add-ons, in order to convince Blaugrana to part ways with the 27-year-old, whom they spent £65m on in 2019.
Why De Jong would be a good signing
Unfortunately, the 2023/24 season was one ravaged by injuries for De Jong. He missed a total of 28 games for club and country last term, with the final one of those injuries ruling him out of playing at Euro 2024 for the Netherlands.
The 27-year-old played 30 times in all competitions for Barcelona last term, grabbing two goals from midfield, both of which came in La Liga. Incredibly, he picked up ten yellow cards, with seven of those coming in just 20 top-flight games in Spain.
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Should United add De Jong to the squad this summer, he could be the dream alternative to Manuel Ugarte and Sander Berge. The midfielders are two other targets for United in the centre of the park, although at this stage deals for either of them are not believed to be advanced.
It is perhaps surprising that the Red Devils are targeting the Dutchman as an alternative to the PSG and Burnley midfielders. Whilst the other two targets are primarily defensive midfielders whose best skill is their work off the ball, the Barca number 21 is very much a player who excels with the ball at his feet.
Sander Berge for Burnley
The Barca man is a superb ball carrier, so slick when in possession, and a sensible progressive passer, able to break opposition defensive lines with ease. In contrast, PSG midfielder Ugarte is an aggressive ball winner, similar in many ways to N’Golo Kante, with Burnley’s Berge a defensive midfielder who acts like a destroyer, looking to break up play and win the ball back.
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This is reflected in the stats on FBref too. Firstly, when looking at defensive numbers, Ugarte leads the way per 90 minutes for tackles and interceptions with 6.42. De Jong averages half that, with just 3.13 and Berge even less, averaging 2.96 each game.
The same can be said for ball recoveries, with the Uruguayan once again leading the way with 8.42. The former Ajax man once again comes in second, averaging 6.43 and the Norway international is third again, with 6.05.
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However, De Jong’s on the ball skills are clear based on the stats, averaging 3.79 progressive carries compared to Ugarte’s 0.74 and Berge’s 1.92 per game. Likewise, the same can be said for his progressive passing, with the Dutchman averaging 9.32, the PSG man 4.05 and the former Sheffield United midfielder hovering at the 4.91 mark.
De Jong, Ugarte and Berge progressive numbers compared
Stat (per 90)
De Jong
Ugarte
Berge
Progressive passes
9.32
4.05
4.91
Passes into final third
10.3
4.6
3.86
Passes into penalty box
1.87
0.28
0.48
Progressive carries
3.79
0.74
1.92
Carries into final third
2.86
1.63
1.71
Stats from FBref
With that in mind, it is curious that United might be targeting a “progressive monster”, as football analyst Ben Mattinson described De Jong. This is not to say he isn’t a capable defender, but the former Ajax midfielder’s strengths certainly lie in possession rather than out of it.
Having targeted a pure ball winner all summer, the reasons for United looking to add Ten Hag’s former midfielder to their squad remain a mystery, outside of the fact that the Dutch manager has wanted to reunite with De Jong since taking over at Old Trafford two summers ago.
It would be an expensive deal for United to get over the line, over £70m altogether, but there is no doubt De Jong would improve the Red Devils’ quality on the ball in midfield. Perhaps his profile does not meet their ideal target of a ball-winner in the middle of the park, but the quality he will provide the side when they have possession is undeniable, and it would be exciting to see him in full flow in that famous red shirt.
