Ten Hag is “crazy” about signing “incredible” £265k-p/w star for Man Utd

Erik ten Hag is still pushing to sign one of his favourite players this summer, with a move perhaps becoming increasingly possible.

United set for change this summer

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first summer transfer window as Manchester United owner could be a big one, with plenty of change expected.

The Red Devils are marooned in eighth place in the Premier League, and with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Brighton to play in their final three games of the season, they seem more likely to head downwards rather than up, which would leave European football out of reach for next season.

It has previously been reported that as many as 21 players may depart Old Trafford this summer, which would mean added reinforcements needed ahead of the new campaign. And in a shock twist, Ten Hag could finally get his wish.

Ten Hag “crazy” about target he wants Ratcliffe to sign

Now, it has emerged that Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong is once more on Manchester United’s radar for the summer transfer window. Just last week, Ten Hag explained that De Jong was a crucial player to play his style of football when discussing a failed move in his first summer in charge.

Quizzed on his failure to implement Ajax’s style at Old Trafford, the Dutchman pointed to issues with personnel.

“Because then you have to bring in players”, he began. “So in the recruitment you need the players with those typical assets [that Ajax players have] and you can’t bring a player who is here who has a [different] style of play and I don’t want to change his nature. That would have been Frenkie de Jong and Casemiro”

“They would have been really connected with each other, they would have been really complementary with each other, absolutely. But that is a typical player, if you want to play the Ajax style, you need that type of player, yeah.”

Now, he could be able to secure his dream addition. That is because, according to Sport Witness, Ten Hag remains “crazy” about the midfielder and will approach the new United owners to try and make a deal happen.

Though Barcelona don’t plan on selling him, they have yet to receive a response to the contract offer for the Dutchman, which has been on the table “for months”. It is added that “if he refuses to accept this latest offer, they will open the doors wide for him to leave”.

He would likely be highly coveted by other clubs too, and he has earned high praise during his time at Barcelona, including from ex-Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas, who compared him to Wesley Sneijder and other Dutch stars.

“He’s incredible. I like players who are above average when it comes to technical and tactical ability. The players who help form others around them.

“De Jong has that technique, the same as players in the class of Van der Vaart and Sneijder. He’s one of those players who controls the ball and has that classic Dutch style.”

De Jong wouldn’t come cheap, either in wages or in fees. He is thought to take home around £265,000 per week at Camp Nou, something that would place him among United’s highest earners were that to remain the same at Old Trafford.

However, with question marks over Casemiro’s future at Old Trafford and both Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial out of contract this summer, United are set to free up significant funds, some of which could well be put towards matching De Jong’s demands.

Maybe, just maybe, Ten Hag will finally get the man he has been chasing since his arrival at the Theatre of Dreams.