The summer transfer window has passed and Manchester United have ended their buying spree with six new players including two defenders, two midfielders and a winger and a goalkeeper.
When Erik ten Hag was first appointed, he had identified defense and midfield as areas in need of reinforcement considering the disastrous 2021-22 season.
A list of targets was drawn up and handed over to the club hierarchy. Despite a slow start, there was a flurry of activity towards the end of the window with high-profile stars like Casemiro and Antony arriving at Old Trafford for record sums.
FDJ was the main target
But the former Real Madrid midfielder was not the Dutch coach’s preferred choice. He wanted a reunion with Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
Both had worked together at Ajax and the Dutch coach had personally called his compatriot to explain how important he would be in his plans in Manchester.
United had even agreed a fee with the Catalan giants for De Jong, but in the end a mix of deferred wages, the player not wanting to leave his ‘dream club’ meant the deal never came to fruition and United signed the Brazilian midfielder instead. .
???????? #MUFC and Chelsea will continue to monitor the situation of 25-year-old Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona before a possible transfer of the player in January @caughtoffside pic.twitter.com/l3daMPdCMr
— ElectricUnited (@ElectricUnited_) September 6, 2022
The Dutch international decided to stay on the side of LaLiga and that has caused resentment in the club for both financial and sporting reasons.
Spanish publication SPORT has mentioned that the 25-year-old has not yet accepted a pay cut like his peers and is in no mood to budge.
Trouble galore, could lead to FDJ moving
The club’s financial situation dictated his departure, and despite his best attempts to engineer a move to United or Chelsea, De Jong refused to leave. In addition, he “felt annoyed by the treatment received by the club, pushing him to leave the entity.”
Now that the new season has begun, De Jong has found himself on the periphery of Xavi’s plans. He has started only one of his team’s first four LaLiga games and the coach preferred the trifecta of Gavi, Pedri along with Sergio Busquets.
Even tactically, “the Dutchman still doesn’t fit perfectly into the automatisms that Xavi wants in midfield. It is difficult for him to assume the positional game and much more to play the role of pivot when Sergio Busquets is not there ”, mentions the article.
And now La Liga boss Javier Tebas has come out and explained that Barca will need to cut their wage bill before next season, which has once again ignited rumors of a possible move to United that could happen even in January.
“Barça has to reduce the wage bill. Next year there will be no levers and they will have to reduce the salary cap that may correspond to them, which will be 400-odd million euros, ”he told Express.
Casemiro has yet to impress while Fred is back to writing and Ten Hag will surely jump at the chance to sign his number one target, even if it is a season late.
