Manchester United are set to abandon their chase for Frenkie de Jong due to the impending arrival of Manuel Ugarte. The Red Devils have been on the hunt for a midfielder all summer and are now on the verge of sealing a reported £42.2million plus add-ons deal for the PSG's Uruguayan star.
The move puts an end to any interest United had in De Jong, particularly given the substantial investment they've made this summer, having spent well over £120m on the likes of Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui. United spent several years tracking De Jong, with concrete interest in the player beginning way back in 2018.
He was snapped up in 2019 by Barcelona, but that didn't stop the Red Devils trying to lure him to Old Trafford, especially after Barcelona fell into financial difficulties. Erik ten Hag, who worked with the Dutch midfielder at Ajax, was particularly keen on a reunion, and the club lodged a £55m bid for the player.
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Despite the prospect of linking up with his former boss, De Jong wasn't happy that Barcelona were entertaining offers for him. He ultimately turned down a move and later admitted: "The club was in a difficult situation. They were able to sell me for a big fee, and they wanted to do this, but I did not want to leave, so I stayed."
Ten Hag was notably frustrated by the ordeal and revealed to Sky Sports: "It would have been Frenkie de Jong and Casemiro. They would really be connected and complementary to each other. That's a typical player. If you want to play the Ajax style, you need that type of player."
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It now looks as if the 27-year-old will stay in Spain for the foreseeable future. De Jong confirmed as much in a recent interview, saying: "Staying at Barca? Yes. Hansi Flick wants me to be key. I talked to him. It was good. I’m very happy in Barcelona with my family, for sure."
In five years at Camp Nou, De Jong has racked up 213 appearances for Barcelona and has scored 17 goals. He's also won three major honours with the club, including the La Liga title in the 2022/23 season.
