Manchester United has been linked with Frenkie De Jong of Barcelona throughout the summer. The club is trying to entice the player to Old Trafford in an attempt to strengthen their midfield. Erik Ten Hag has made it clear that Frenkie De Jong is his priority for the project at Old Trafford.
Barcelona has reportedly agreed on a fee for the Dutch international with Manchester United. However, the Red Devils are yet to come to an agreement with the midfielder. Chelsea is also looking to strengthen their midfield and has entered the race to sign Frenkie De Jong.
Chelsea has not made an official bid for the player yet. However, they may be tempted to move for the Dutch international soon. Frenkie De Jong has not initiated contact with Manchester United and it seems like the player does not fancy a move to Old Trafford.
Amidst all this, Former Aston Villa striker, Gabriel Agbonlahor said about Chelsea:
“I still feel like they may still need a midfielder, there’s talk of maybe De Jong, maybe hijacking that move from Manchester United, and I think he’d choose Chelsea over Man United if he had the choice.”
The former England international believes that Manchester United is no more an attractive destination for top players due to the lack of Champions League football.
Has Manchester United lost the pull for top players as a club?
The Red Devils have signed Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, and Lisandro Martinez in this transfer window. However, none of the players had received interest from any Champions League clubs. Based on these signings, it is difficult to say if players still prefer Manchester United.
However, it is important to note that United signed Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho, and Cristiano Ronaldo in the last transfer window. It will be harsh to say that the club is no longer a pull for top players as their transfer activity in the past couple of seasons shows the contrary.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned does not change the fact that Chelsea are a strong competitor for United. If the Blues make an important proposal for the midfielder, then Frenkie De Jong will really have a choice at hand. Manchester United needs to act fast if they are to secure their primary target for this summer transfer window.
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