Frenkie de Jong probably does have some interest in sealing a transfer to Manchester United this summer, despite repeated talk that he’s unsure about the move to Old Trafford.
That’s the view of former Red Devils midfielder Luke Chadwick, who says he can’t imagine United would be pushing so hard to get this deal done if they didn’t think there was a decent chance they could persuade him to join.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside, Chadwick backed Man Utd’s pursuit of De Jong, describing him as the “ideal” midfielder to come in and make Erik ten Hag’s style of play work.
“I think the fact that it has rumbled on for so long would suggest that the deal is not dead in the water,” Chadwick said. “If the player didn’t want to join then United would be making enquiries elsewhere.
“I’m sure there’s a huge amount of communication between the player’s agents and the club, and if they made it clear it wasn’t happening, then we’d see United move on.
“You do get the impression that Ten Hag is desperate to get De Jong, he’s his man, he was his go-to man at Ajax, he’s the one that team was built around to an extent. Still, there’s only a certain amount of time you can go after one player.”
Chadwick also believes it’s vital to strengthen United’s midfield this summer, with Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic’s departures only leaving them with Fred and Scott McTominay.
“Fred and McTominay have done well at times but have also been found wanting at times, so I think more options needed to be added to that central midfield area,” Chadwick said.
“I’d be hugely surprised if someone didn’t come in. De Jong seems ideal. Ruben Neves is a good alternative but I don’t think he’s worth €100m. Youri Tielemans’ contract situation makes him a good option if the De Jong deal doesn’t work out.”