Manchester United have a golden opportunity to finally sign Frenkie de Jong after missing out on the midfielder’s signature on multiple occasions. The consensus among Dutch media in recent days is that the Netherlands international no longer has a long-term future at Barcelona and could move on next year.
Rodri arrival clouds De Jong's future
The La Liga winners announced the signing of former Ballon d’Or winner Rodri earlier this week. The Spaniard, who won the World Cup this summer, plays in De Jong’s position at the base of the midfield and is widely regarded as the best player in the world in his role.
As such, Rodri’s arrival has been taken as an ominous sign regarding De Jong’s Barca future back in his native Netherlands. Several outlets believe the former Manchester City star is there to take De Jong’s place rather than play alongside him, with De Telegraaf claiming Rodri is "a class above" on their podcast.
De Jong's current situation at Barcelona
De Jong is currently out of action with an injury so Barca are not actively trying to sell him right now, though reports suggest he will not see out the entirety of his contract, which expires in 2029. Dutch reporters via Spanish publication Sport expect it to be his final season at the Camp Nou, with the player reportedly angry that he has been stripped of his Blaugrana captaincy during his injury, due to uncertainty over whether he will get the armband back after his return.
Barcelona have looked to sell De Jong in the past, but the player has always insisted he wants to stay at the club. During Erik ten Hag's time as United manager, he was regularly linked with the Red Devils. United tried to exploit Barcelona's financial crisis by reaching an agreement in the region of £72million for the Dutch midfielder back in 2022.
United's long pursuit of De Jong
It was even reported that United’s then director of football John Murtough flew out to negotiate with Barcelona that summer in an effort to seal the transfer. However, it soon became abundantly clear that the now 29-year-old had no intention of heading to Old Trafford. It was reported that De Jong was hesitant due to United's lack of Champions League football and his love for the city of Barcelona. Reports also claimed the midfielder was reluctant to leave as the financially troubled Catalan club had deferred his wages during the pandemic, and leaving meant he would not receive his outstanding salary.
Having failed in their pursuit, the club completed the surprise £60m capture of Casemiro from Real Madrid. United had also fallen short of signing De Jong during his time at Ajax, while Jose Mourinho was still in charge at Old Trafford. Mourinho was a huge admirer of the midfielder, having first observed him as a 20-year-old coming off the bench during the 2017 Europa League final. By 2018, the Dutchman was one of the hottest prospects in world football and United dispatched senior scouts to watch him.
Their head of youth recruitment Derek Langley strongly urged the board to prioritise signing him but executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and the club hierarchy failed to act decisively or table a concrete offer during the autumn of 2018, ultimately leaving Mourinho short of midfielders and increasing internal tensions.
The Red Devils, now led by head coach Michael Carrick and director of football Jason Wilcox, seemingly have a huge opportunity to finally land De Jong in January or next summer. While their business in the middle of the park might be done for now, uncertainty around Bruno Fernandes' future could open the door in the not-too-distant future.
