Manchester United are increasingly confident of signing Frenkie de Jong and hope to conclude a deal swiftly, according to reports.
Following weeks of speculation, Erik ten Hag looks set to make Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong his first signing as manager of Manchester United.
As reported by talkSPORT, United are growing more and more confident about signing the Dutchman. The Red Devils hope to get a deal done quickly for De Jong and reunite the player with his former Ajax manager.
The report goes onto mention that United have stepped up the negotiations with Barcelona.
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De Jong, who was initially unsure about a move to United, has given the transfer the ‘green light’, and United will now begin the process of thorough negotiation with the Spanish side.
Initially, de Jong was said to be unconvinced by United, mainly due to the lack of Champions League football. However, United have seemingly convinced the midfielder, and have now got him on board with the project under Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
Should the Dutch manager and De Jong link up at United, they would be able to reignite a partnership that saw them share many successful moments at Ajax, including reaching a Champions League semi-final in the 2018/19 season.
That campaign saw De Jong play 52 games for the new United manager in a season where they would lift the Eredivisie title.
De Jong would also join up with former Ajax teammate and fellow Dutchman Donny van de Beek. Van de Beek will return to United in the summer, following a loan spell at Everton in the second half of last season.
Barcelona paid Ajax around £77 million for De Jong in the summer of 2019 and would now be willing to let him go to the Red Devils for a similar price, although the way United would structure the deal is not clear.
His time in Spain has not been as expected, as he's struggled to reach the heights that were predicted three years ago.
However, at United, he has the prospect of playing under the manager who got him playing the football that created those expectations.
Ten Hag will likely build the midfield around De Jong, who has shown that when the conditions for him are goo, he thrives, like in the national side.
De Jong is currently away on international duty with the Netherlands, who play their final game of the current international break on June 14th, with a home game against Wales.
Topics: Frenkie De Jong, Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Football, Transfers, Erik Ten Hag
Joe Nuttall