Man Utd on red alert as Barcelona name their price for dream Erik ten Hag transfer

Manchester United continue to show ‘strong interest’ in Frenkie de Jong and Barcelona have reportedly named their price for the Dutch midfielder.

The Red Devils were heavily linked with the 27-year-old in 2022 – Erik ten Hag’s first summer at Old Trafford – but he rejected their advances.

Man Utd have been linked time and again with De Jong. Ten Hag is a big admirer of his and the pair worked together well during their time at Ajax.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona have ‘set a price’ for De Jong to leave as they look to generate funds to ease their ongoing financial struggles.

It’s claimed that the Catalans would be willing to sell De Jong for €70m (£58.4m / $75.8m).  Due to financial pressures, the midfielder’s sale looks ‘closer than ever.’ If Man Utd are able to match Barcelona’s price demands, the report suggests the Dutch international will be on his way to Old Trafford next season.

A separate report from SPORT claims that De Jong is committed to making his time at Barcelona a successful one, but the LaLiga giants could still try and sell him.

Man Utd, Chelsea and Bayern Munich are all said to have expressed interest, while Paris Saint-Germain are also keeping an eye on his situation.

READ MORE: Man Utd summer signing wanted by European giant – on one condition

Man Utd could axe two midfielders

Man Utd may well be in the market for another new midfielder next summer, despite them signing Manuel Ugarte recently.

As previously reported, the Red Devils’ chiefs are keen to get several unwanted stars off the books and Casemiro is at the top of their list.

The 32-year-old earns an eye-watering £350,000 per week at Man Utd and those at Old Trafford do not believe his performances on the pitch reflect his salary.

Man Utd are actively looking to sell Casemiro and there has been some interest in him from the Saudi Pro League.

Another midfielder facing an uncertain future is Christian Eriksen, whose current contract will expire at the end of the season.

Man Utd are yet to decide whether to extend his deal but his current excellent form is certainly helping his cause.

Ahead of United’s trip to Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday, Eriksen himself was asked about his future. The former Tottenham man admitted that that is somewhat out of his hands.

He told reporters: “It’s not really up to me when my contract runs out, it’s up to the club. I am enjoying it here. When the summer comes if the offer is there I will definitely take it seriously.”

Man Utd, therefore, could lose two midfielders before the start of next season, so signing a quality player like De Jong could make sense. It will be interesting to see if the Red Devils make any concrete moves towards him in the coming months.

Thomas Frank to Man Utd?

Meanwhile, the main focus of the Man Utd hierarchy remains on their manager situation, and whether Ten Hag will be allowed to continue in the hot seat.

The Red Devils have already begun looking at potential replacements for their manager. Sir Jim Ratcliffe will not be rushed into a decision, though, and will only sack Ten Hag when he feels an adequate successor has been found.

As we exclusively revealed on Thursday, Brentford boss Thomas Frank has emerged as a leading contender to replace Ten Hag.

His success at Brentford where he has turned them from Championship regulars to a formidable Premier League outfit has caught the attention of many top sides.

Frank is also respected greatly by his players and that is another reason why the likes of Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea have kept tabs on him in their respective managerial searches.

Along with Frank, TEAMtalk understands that Graham Potter, Eddie Howe, Potter and Howe, TEAMtalk understands that Massimiliano Allegri, Edin Terzic and Lucien Favre have also been discussed as options by the Red Devils hierarchy, while Xavi has also been linked recently.

IN FOCUS: Frenkie de Jong under Erik ten Hag

De Jong made 59 appearances under Ten Hag before joining Barcelona in a £65million deal in the summer of 2019.

He registered three goals and four assists for Ajax in those 59 appearances, averaging a direct goal contribution every 720.2 minutes.

Ajax won 43 of those games, drew 10 and lost six, giving the duo a 72.8 per cent win rate and a 10.1 per cent loss rate when they work together.

The midfielder won the Eredivisie title in his final season under Ten Hag and averaged 88.1 passes per 90 league minutes in 2018/19.

He had a pass success rate of 91.1 per cent and also created 1.6 chances per 90 league minutes.

The Netherlands international completed 2.2 successful dribbles per 90 minutes and was dispossessed just 1.0 times per 90.

He also did a lot of defensive work under Ten Hag, averaging 1.9 successful tackles and 1.6 interceptions per 90 Eredivisie minutes in 2018/19.

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