Manchester United’s pursuit of FC Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong has dominated the Premier League switch speak over the period of 2022, and it would simply proceed to dictate conversations heading into the 2023 winter switch window.
In the summertime, studies indicated that the Dutch midfield maestro was all however confirmed to be penning a deal on the Theatre of Goals, with Sky Sports activities Germany reporter Florian Plettenburg tweeting concerning the state of affairs final 12 months: “Ten Hag needed him, he’ll get him! De Jong is on verge to hitch MUFC!
“Been informed that de Jong may very well be introduced on the weekend. However that’s not 100% secure now. There are plans to current him within the stadium.”
And now, in line with studies from Spain, the phenom has internally expressed his want to depart from Catalonia and ply his commerce in Manchester, with the Purple Devils now engaged on a proposal to to reunite supervisor Erik ten Hag along with his prodigious ex-player.
Man United’s David Silva?
Signing for Barcelona in a £65m deal from AFC Ajax in 2019, De Jong has since made 158 appearances for the Spanish giants, scoring 15 targets and serving 19 assists, excelling as a deep-lying playmaker and profitable one Copa del Rey trophy.
As per FBref, the 25-year-old ranks throughout the high 7% for go completion, 13% for dribbles accomplished and 11% for shot-creating actions, when in comparison with midfielders throughout Europe’s main leagues.
His supreme ball-playing talents and knack for dominating the centre of the park units him aside from the swathes of midfielders vying to earn a spot within the dialog for the sport’s elite, and De Jong is actually means forward of the pack.
The Dutchman’s improbable common ranking of seven.29 within the Spanish La Liga this time period, as per Sofascore, is a mirrored image of his stellar sustained showings, and with a go success fee of 91% and 1.4 key passes per match are a giant issue behind the Camp Nou outfit’s resurgence, with the membership certainly in first place of the division after 15 matches performed.
De Jong’s excellence may very well be utilised by Ten Hag to copy the affect that David Silva had at metropolis rivals Manchester Metropolis; signing for the Sky Blues in a £30m deal in 2010, the Spaniard went on to etch a perpetual title into Metropolis folklore, profitable 4 Premier League’s and two FA Cup’s amongst different main honours in an illustrious profession on English soil.
And with 77 targets and 140 assists from 436 appearances for the Etihad-based facet, his presence was actually felt inside English soccer.
With each gamers inventive geniuses and passers of the best diploma, De Jong might certainly inject his orchestrating aura into Previous Trafford.
Hailed as “extraordinary” by Barca boss Xavi, it is likely to be time for somebody of De Jong’s calibre to lastly strive his hand at Premier League soccer, and full the switch arc with Man United that has dominated headlines for a while now.
