Frenkie de Jong’s earlier statements indicate he’d prefer Manchester United over Manchester City
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Due to his desire to play alongside Donny van de Beek, Barcelona player, Frenkie de Jong may have already decided to join Manchester United.
When Manchester United is connected with a new signing, Manchester City is generally close behind, since the two rivals are usually competing for the same talent. United has beaten them in recent years, landing Harry Maguire, Alexis Sanchez, and Cristiano Ronaldo, albeit only the latter has proven to be a success.
With their chase of Kalvin Phillips proceeding slowly, City might try to derail United’s approach to De Jong. However, De Jong stated in 2019 that having Van de Beek as a teammate has its advantages, implying that a move to Old Trafford might be contingent on his former colleague.
Frenkie de Jong wants to play for which Manchester club?
De Jong and Van de Beek had a strong relationship in Erik ten Hag’s excellent Ajax lineup until the club was broken apart in the summer window. Ajax reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, but De Jong was one of several Ajax talents who moved on that summer.
Van de Beek joined United in 2020, despite the fact that it has been a flop so far, and Hakim Ziyech followed him to England, while former Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt joined Juventus. However, speculation has grown that Ten Hag might rejoin Van de Beek and De Jong at Old Trafford in an attempt to reverse United’s recent relegation.
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And, based on De Jong’s words on Van de Beek in 2019, he looks to be looking forward to reuniting with his old teammate in 2019. Before joining United, Van de Beek was linked with a move to Real Madrid, and De Jong said that he would prefer not to have him as a rival.
This would also be true if De Jong joined City, which might try a late hijacking. “I would want him to stay at Ajax because I wouldn’t have him as an opponent and Ajax would be strong,” De Jong told ESPN.
“But, no, when everything is settled and he moves to Madrid, I am ecstatic for him. I believe he is deserving of it. He’s a fantastic athlete. Then I’ll pay him a visit in Spain!
“…I’m quite convinced he’s got it in him. Last season, I believe he demonstrated it in the Champions League, particularly in the knockout rounds. I believe he has demonstrated to the rest of the world and to everyone in Europe that he can play at a high level.”
With Fernandinho out of the picture and Ilkay Gundogan’s contract expiring in a year, City will need a new holding midfielder soon. City was connected with De Jong before he joined Barcelona, but it seems like it’s a better match today than it was in 2019.
City, on the other hand, may be moving on to greener pastures, since De Jong has impressed at Barcelona, but it’s uncommon for the champions to go back in for a player they’ve effectively passed over. And, given United’s previous track record in terms of recruiting players, it may be a sign to stay away from at all costs.
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Ujan Chakraborty
(1240 Articles Published)