Erik Ten Hag Has "Charmed" Frenkie De Jong Into Man United Move

Manchester United’s pursuit of Frenkie de Jong has taken a positive turn, as the Dutchman has been convinced by former coach Erik ten Hag that his future lies with the Old Trafford club, according to reports.

It has been reported within the last hours by Simon Mullock of The Mirror that Barcelona and Netherlands midfielder, Frenkie de Jong, has been convinced of a move to Manchester United, following what has been described as a “charm offensive” by new Reds boss, Erik ten Hag.

While it initially appeared as though the 25 year-old was determined to stay at the Camp Nou to continue his Barcelona career, it now seems as though he has been convinced of a move to the Premier League and a reunion with his former Ajax boss.

Ten Hag reportedly wants to build his United project around De Jong, with the midfielder likely to resume the role as a tempo controlling playmaker he played while at Ajax, prior to his 2019 move to Barcelona.

While this is a positive development for United, negotiations over the fee for the player is proving to be a more contentious issue between the clubs.

Barcelona are reportedly demanding a fee that would require the Red to break their £89m transfer record spent on Paul Pogba in 2016.

However, sources in Holland dispute this, with £68m plus add ons instead being an acceptable offer.

Manchester United will have more time to consider their strategy in regards to the de Jong deal than with other transfers, with there being little to no interest in the player from other elite European teams.

This being said, United will be eager to close the deal quickly, having already lost out on their high profile pursuit of Darwin Nunez earlier this week.

It is being reported that de Jong will go on holiday following the conclusion of the international break, with no public comments about the transfer set to be made by the player during this period until a fee is agreed between the two clubs.

De Jong started for the Netherlands in 2 of their 3 Nations League fixtures, with these being a 4-1 win over Belgium and a 2-2 draw with Poland.

He also made an appearance from the bench in their 2-1 win over Wales. The midfielder showed his class over the respective fixtures, securing an assist for Steven Bergwijn in the win over Belgium.

With the international break now concluded for European teams, United will hope that they can secure the move over the next week, with negotiations with Barcelona continuing over the weekend and into the start of next week.