Erik ten Hag wants former Ajax favourite at Manchester United
![AMSTERDAM - Erik ten Hag during the press conference ahead of the Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on October 18, 2021 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. ANP MAURICE VAN STEEN (Photo by ANP Sport via Getty Images) AMSTERDAM - Erik ten Hag during the press conference ahead of the Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund at the Johan Cruijff ArenA on October 18, 2021 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. ANP MAURICE VAN STEEN (Photo by ANP Sport via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/2d57a56a413b8d272e58ce37d07567a506a197383fd2e977cb1fd2406190ad00.jpg)
With Erik ten Hag set to arrive as the Manchester United manager in the summer, expect this squad to look very different from next season. And it does not feel like many fans will be heartbroken about that either, as they are now set to see the club finish trophyless for the fifth straight campaign. It is clear that changes are needed at Old Trafford and hopefully the Dutchman will ring them in as soon as possible.
One area of the squad that is in need of transforming is definitely their midfield. It has been viewed as a weakness for a while already and looks set to be weakened further.
Nemanja Matic has already announced that he intends to leave Manchester United at the end of the season. And Paul Pogba’s days at the club seem to be numbered as well. Ten Hag could turn towards one of his former favourites at Ajax to rebuild the midfield though.
As reported by SPORT, Manchester United have Frenkie de Jong as one of their priority targets of the summer transfer window and Ten Hag fully trusts the Dutch midfielder. But Barcelona do not want to part ways with him and everything indicates that the player does not want to leave either.
Manchester United eyeing Ten Hag reunion with De Jong but Barcelona want to keep the Dutch international
De Jong has been a regular member of Barcelona’s first-team as Xavi has tried to get them back to their best since arriving as manager in the middle of the campaign, after Ronald Koeman was shown the exit door.
It must be said that since joining Barcelona in the summer of 2019, De Jong has not developed at the rate that he was expected to.
In fact, it feels like he has played his best football till now under the management of Ten Hag, during the season in which Ajax unexpectedly managed to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Thus, a reunion could potentially be of some interest to the Barcelona star as well.
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