Alex Crook believes that Manchester United could finally hand Erik ten Hag the midfielder he craves in Frenkie de Jong.
The Lowdown: Man United will look to improve
United were very interested and keen to sign De Jong last summer as Ten Hag tried to bolster his midfield options but instead, they decided to recruit Casemiro and many may believe they actually got a better deal with the Brazilian given his performances.
However, Man United are still being linked with De Jong despite his persistence against joining the Red Devils last summer as Ten Hag looks to build upon what has been a very solid season of progress and rebuild.
The Red Devils will have been buoyed recently by the news that Barcelona are set to be hit with a transfer ban this summer, which could indeed force them into a sort of fire sale, including De Jong.
The Latest: De Jong could move to Old Trafford
Crook has admitted on TalkSPORT that despite their failed attempts to land De Jong last summer, Ten Hag may finally be reunited with the former Ajax player this upcoming transfer window.
He said: (0:30) "Of course, De Jong got a bit of a taste of the feel-good factor that's certainly reverberating around Old Trafford when Barcelona were dumped out of the Europa League at United last week.
"I think this is one that could happen and I think Manchester United fans should be excited, Casemiro alongside De Jong in midfield that is top quality."
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The Verdict: Ten Hag could assemble monster midfield
It will be mouthwatering for Man United fans to imagine a midfield duo of Casemiro and De Jong, players who've played at the very top level of the game and the latter has been hailed as the 'best player on the ball' after his El Classico display on Thursday night.
De Jong may well have got a taste for moving to Old Trafford after experiencing the atmosphere last week during Barcelona's Europa League defeat, however, given that the Catalonian giants are thriving in the league, it will be a tough choice for him to make.
If Ten Hag was to be handed De Jong this summer as well as a proven goalscorer then there would be no reason why the Red Devils couldn't become serious title contenders next season based on their form as of late.