Manchester United: Frenkie de Jong still a target for Erik ten Hag

Manchester United have not abandoned all hope of signing Frenkie de Jong despite their failed pursuit of the Dutch midfielder in the summer.

United boss Erik ten Hag made the Barcelona player his top transfer target on his arrival from Ajax.

De Jong, 25, whose contract at the Nou Camp was complicated by the club’s financial restructuring, never gave any indication he was willing to leave.

But it is understood Ten Hag wants to revisit the situation in the summer.

After missing out on De Jong, United instead bolstered their midfield by signing Brazilian Casemiro from Real Madrid for £70m and Christian Eriksen, who has proved to be an astute free transfer arrival from Brentford.

Yet even with last summer’s influx of new arrivals, Ten Hag feels De Jong would fit perfectly into his squad.

Next summer is also when England’s Jude Bellingham will need to decide his future.

Bellingham famously went on a tour of United’s Carrington training ground in 2020, where he met Sir Alex Ferguson. Some United staff were convinced they would secure the services of the then Birmingham youngster but he eventually signed for Borussia Dortmund.

Given the opportunity, United feel they could still make a compelling case for why Bellingham should join them, although with every major club in the world interested in a player who was outstanding in England’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals they accept they are not the favourites in a competitive field.

After Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit, getting a new striker remains a priority for Ten Hag.

PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo is on United’s radar but given the club’s ownership situation, making any significant signings next month has to be open to question.