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Frenkie de Jong 'had doubts about Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag'

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 27 September 2022

Frenkie de Jong 'had doubts about Erik ten Hag'

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong reportedly had doubts about working for Erik ten Hag amid interest from Manchester United over the summer.

The 25-year-old was the subject of a long-running transfer saga which dragged out throughout the summer as Man United relentlessly pursued the Dutchman, who was Ten Hag's primary target.

Despite reports of the Red Devils agreeing a fee in excess of £70m with the cash-strapped Catalan giants to sign De Jong, the midfielder eventually stayed put at Camp Nou.

De Jong recently revealed that there were disagreements between himself and Barca over the summer regarding his position at the club, but he insists that he always wanted to remain in Catalonia.

"I always wanted to stay at Barcelona and this is why I always remained calm in the summer," De Jong told reporters while on international duty with the Netherlands last week.

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong in action in July 2022 © Reuters

"I can't give too many details away. But look, the club has its own ideas and I have my own ideas too, and sometimes this clashes with each other. But at the end of the day things went okay."

Man United's lack of Champions League football is thought to have been one of the main reasons why De Jong was against a switch to Old Trafford this summer.

In addition, Cadena SER claims that the midfielder was also not convinced by Ten Hag, and the chance to reunite with the former Ajax boss was not enough to persuade him to leave Barcelona.

The report adds that De Jong's Barca teammates were desperate for him to remain at the club and they chanted for him to stay during a team dinner at the end of May.

Frenkie de Jong warms up for the Netherlands on June 14, 2022 © Reuters

De Jong, who still has four years remaining on his contract, is currently one of the highest earners at Barca, but he is allegedly set to hold talks with club president Joan Laporta over a "salary adjustment" next year.

The midfielder and his family are believed to be settled in Catalonia and the Dutchman views himself as the heir to club legend Sergio Busquets, who is out of contract next summer.

Busquets has recently been linked with a potential switch to the MLS with Inter Miami, but the 34-year-old has played down suggestions of a move to the USA.

De Jong was forced off with a hamstring injury in the Netherlands' 2-0 Nations League victory against Poland last Thursday along with Barcelona teammate Memphis Depay.

Both players join Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo on the treatment table, with the quartet hoping to recover in time for the El Clasico against Real Madrid on October 16.