According to The Sun, Manchester United are eyeing up Ajax central midfielder Frenkie De Jong. Manager Jose Mourinho wants the highly-rated player ‘who can also drop into defence’ and is willing to battle Tottenham Hotspur for his signature. The report states De Jong could cost around £50m to sign, however, which could be a stumbling block for Spurs as their money has recently gone on their new stadium.
Tottenham failed to make a permanent signing in the summer and may not be open to spending so much money on one player when the winter transfer window opens in January. This could open the door to United to bring De Jong to Old Trafford, with Mourinho a big fan of the midfielder. The 21-year-old has made 49 appearances for Ajax and was reportedly the subject of a bid from Manchester City last summer.
United have been in the market for a central defender for some time, eyeing up Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld, Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti, Leicester City’s Harry Maguire and Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane, so De Jong might fill a void if they signed him. He’s a natural midfielder too, but with Mourinho’s side having Fred, Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba, the Dutch target would have stiff competition for places.
Stats from Transfermarkt.
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