Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong has revealed where he would like to be playing his football next season, saying “I prefer to stay with Barcelona, my dream club”. This comes despite his strong connection with new United boss Erik ten Hag and the fact that the Spanish giants may need to sell him this summer regardless of what he wants.
Frenkie de Jong tells ESPN: “I prefer to stay at Barça. I said this before, Barcelona is the club of my dreams”. 🚨🇳🇱 #FCB
“Contact with other clubs? I don't want to talk about rumors anymore. I feel good at Barcelona. There is no agreement and nothing official”.@TheEuropeanLad pic.twitter.com/A2LcM9iRk3
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 31, 2022
Speaking about his transfer situation, De Jong told reporters: “The club didn’t tell me anything. They didn’t propose anything to me”.
Manchester United Target Frenkie de Jong Reveals His Preferred Destination
United Need to Fix Their Midfield Issues
The Red Devils have been struggling in the centre of midfield for a number of years. The last player to consistently perform in the position was Ander Herrera, but since his departure, there has been a lot of chopping and changing in the middle of the park.
Scott McTominay and Fred were generally the first-choice pivot under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but when the Norwegian exited in late 2021, it became anyone’s guess as to which midfielders will be in the starting 11.
With Ralf Rangnick at the helm, the likes of McTominay, Fred, Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, and even Hannibal Mejbri were utilised, but none with any great success. With Pogba and Matic set to leave when their contracts expire this summer, United’s options are about to get even thinner.
The Manchester side have needed a defensive midfielder for some time, but will now also need to bolster their creative, more attacking-minded midfield options too. De Jong fits the latter description, and would be a fantastic addition should he move to Old Trafford this summer. That said, it is imperative for the sake of United that he does not join against his will. They have been down this road before and fans will hope that under the new regime, previous mistakes will inform present decisions.
