In a new twist, ESPN reporter Rob Dawson has revealed that United have been in contact with other midfielders as the De Jong saga continues.
“There are certainly other players on the list, but I have the impression that, for ten Hag, De Jong is such an ideal player that they want to do everything possible to get this deal done,” he told The United. Standing.
“There could be a case where Barcelona doesn’t play ball, or de Jong says he doesn’t want to come. [Erik ten Hag] then he will have to decide if he has any players in the squad or if he needs to sign someone.
“Is [Erik ten Hag] come in and set such high standards on the training ground, with the way the club is run, their transfer targets, that they want their number one [Frenkie de Jong].
“The danger is [with Frenkie de Jong] that there is only a finite amount of time to do so as the deadline is fast approaching. At what point do you pull the plug?
“I’m sure they did [been in contact with other midfielders]. I’m not suggesting they have a deal, but there will be contact.
“They will know if the player [other midfield targets] wants to come, they will know, vaguely, what the valuation is, what it will take to get an agreement on the line. They’ll have all that information.”