Manchester United are yet to hold talks with Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong over a move to Old Trafford, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The Lowdown: De Jong on the move?
The Dutchman hasn’t enjoyed the happiest time of things in Spain since joining from Ajax, with Barca in disarray at times and losing Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain.
De Jong has been linked with a move away from the Catalan giants, in order to enjoy a fresh challenge and get away from the current situation at the Nou Camp.
United have been tipped to make a move for the 24-year-old, but a fresh update has now been provided on the matter and it’s perhaps not what the fans in Manchester would have been hoping for.
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The Latest: Romano provides key update
Taking to Twitter on Thursday evening, Romano claimed in a 14-word verdict that a move to Old Trafford next month isn’t yet on the cards, as is the case with PSG as well:
“Manchester United have not opened any talk to sign Frenkie de Jong in January.”
Romano says we are simply ‘waiting to see what happens in the next months’.
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The Verdict: Big battle on the cards
De Jong is clearly an outstanding player, even though he hasn’t necessarily excelled at Barca, with legendary midfielder Xavi describing him as an ‘extraordinary’ footballer.
He is someone who could make an enormous difference to United’s midfield, not only bringing world-class quality on the ball but also a strong work ethic off it.
De Jong has averaged a 91.4% pass completion rate in the league this season – only Jesse Lingard (92.9%) has a better tally for United but from a tiny sample size – as well as making 1.5 tackles per match.
This combination of technical skill, reading of the game and physicality could mark him out as the perfect long-term replacement for someone like Paul Pogba, whose contract is still ticking down, and United fans will surely be hoping the club takes action after Romano’s somewhat disappointing update.
In other news, some United fans are fuming at an exit rumour regarding one player. Find out who it is here.
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