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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has brought several of his former Ajax stars to Old Trafford and another one could be set to join him
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Manchester United have lacked a discernible playing style throughout Erik ten Hag's two years in charge, but a transformative signing could finally arrive this summer. Ten Hag's admiration for Frenkie de Jong, who shined under him at Ajax, has been well documented and he has actively pursued the midfielder since arriving at Old Trafford. Barcelona were previously reluctant to sell De Jong but are now willing to consider a deal at the right price. According to TEAMtalk, Man United could finally land the Dutch international if they're prepared to increase their offer to €70m, plus €15m in add-ons. United's initial bid of €50m has been rejected with Barcelona seeking a similar fee to the one they paid for him in 2019. With a deal for Matthijs de Ligt almost complete, this would further increase the former Ajax contingent in Ten Hag's squad. Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez and Antony also played for the United manager during his time in Amsterdam. De Jong is seen as someone who could partner Kobbie Mainoo in centre midfield, helping his team progress the ball from deep with surging runs and incisive passes. This would enable Ten Hag to evolve towards the more dominant, possession-heavy approach he favoured at Ajax, where he won three Eredivisie titles and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. The Dutchman has already strengthened his squad with the signings of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro, while Bayern Munich defensive duo Noussair Mazraoui and De Ligt should be announced soon. One Manchester United transfer solution could be hijacked by Jose Mourinho, according to one report. Another says that the club are launching a spectacular move for the next Paul Pogba. Manchester United: All 11 former Eredivisie players Erik ten Hag has signed Meanwhile, Ruud van Nistelrooy has outlined his 'special' Manchester United reunion amid Erik ten Hag replacement claims. Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription Join now for unlimited access Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 Sean Cole is a freelance journalist. He has written for Four Four Two, BBC Sport and When Saturday Comes among others. A Birmingham City supporter and staunch Nikola Zigic advocate, he once scored a hat-trick at St. Andrew’s (in a half-time game). He also has far too many football shirts and spends far too much time reading the Wikipedia pages of obscure players. 'You don’t have to read between the lines to see what’s happened: some people didn’t see eye to eye at the end' - Jamie Carragher gives theory around Jurgen Klopp departure and why Arne Slot is no David Moyes Tottenham squad for 2024/25: Ange Postecoglou's full team for the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup Markus Babbel: 'Losing the 1999 Champions League Final hurt, but it was a fantastic game. ' Four Four Two is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. ©
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