Manchester United clear favourites to sign FC Barcelona midfielder in 2025

In the event that Frenkie de Jong leaves FC Barcelona, Manchester United is said to be the top candidate to sign him. Manchester United has been frequently linked to Dutch as well as former Ajax players since the time Erik ten Hag signed with the team in 2022.

They have brought in Lisandro Martinez, Antony, Andre Onana, Matthijs De Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui, all former Ajax players who previously played under Ten Hag—so these rumors are not unjustified.

Oddly, Frenkie de Jong is a player who hasn't signed, and has been most strongly associated with the Old Trafford team. In 2022, the Red Devils and Barcelona reached an agreement on a fee for his services; however, because he was reluctant to leave Catalonia, no deal was finalized.

If the player refuses to stay at Camp Nou, FC Barcelona will seek to move him this summer rather than letting him go for free in 2026. They also needed him to lower his pay if he wants to renew his contract with the Catalan giants.

Since Ten Hag took over as manager, United has already made significant investments in the midfield. Although Manuel Ugarte became the most recent high-priced addition this summer, it can be claimed that not one of the new midfield players fit De Jong's role or style of play, which the manager obviously wanted in 2022.

How Manchester United failed to sign Alessandro Bastoni?

In 2021, Manchester United and numerous other elite European teams were unable to get Italian central defender Alessandro Bastoni. According to Italian publication TUTTO mercato WEB, United was one of several elite European teams hoping to sign the gifted defender in 2021.

Bastoni was able to extend until 2024 with an increased pay thanks to a last-minute loan that the Inter Milan ownership were able to get. Inter's decision-makers were concerned that, like their neighbors AC Milan did with Sandro Tonali in 2023, they might have had to sell the talent. However, Bastoni sees himself as future captaincy material at the San Siro and has always desired to stay for a "long time."