Man Utd: 'Embarrassing' if Ten Hag now doesn't sign £104m star at Old Trafford | OneFootball

Manchester United missing out on signing Frenkie de Jong would be “embarrassing” for the club, claims journalist Dean Jones.

The Red Devils have identified de Jong as one of their main transfer targets this summer, but they are yet to agree a deal with Barcelona for the midfielder.

What’s the latest news involving de Jong?

United’s new manager, Erik ten Hag, previously worked with de Jong at Ajax, and wants to link up with the 25-year-old again at Old Trafford.

Sky Sports has claimed that the Premier League outfit have not submitted an official offer for de Jong’s services yet, but there is a belief that a deal can be done this summer.

The player himself appears to be relaxed about his future, and told reporters on Tuesday: “You’re always flattered when teams show interest in you as a player but I am at the biggest club in the world at the moment and I feel fine there, so no news.”

Darwin Nunez to Liverpool! Done Deal! Hear more on The Football Terrace…

What has Jones said about de Jong?

It seems de Jong would be happy to stay at Barcelona, meaning that a move to United is far from a certainty.

Jones thinks it would be a humbling experience for United if they failed to sign de Jong, who is valued at £104m by CIES, in the current transfer window.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “If they don’t get him at this point, this is actually a bit embarrassing. Barcelona now willing to sell, the player’s head now getting around the fact that he’s going to be moving. And it would be good for Barca too. This would be the second-highest transfer fee they’ve ever received for a player. So, it’s a massive deal for everyone, and one that I think suits everyone.”

Would it be embarrassing for United to miss out on de Jong?

There is certainly a case that it would be.

Coming into the summer transfer window, it was clear that a major rebuild was needed at the club after their dismal 2021/22 campaign.

Yet so far, it has been all about players departing Old Trafford, with Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani among those leaving when their contracts expire at the end of the month.

In terms of bringing in fresh faces, the 20-time English champions seem to have focused a lot of their attention on de Jong. If he opts to stay at Barcelona or moves elsewhere, this would be a significant setback for United, and they may then feel they have wasted valuable time on the 43-cap international.

With the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham already adding to their squads, United have given their rivals a head-start, and they cannot afford to continue to fall behind these teams in the transfer market if they want to get back into the top four next season.