One of the most intense things about football off the pitch is transfer sagas. Manchester United, like every club, have been involved in them, and they are sometimes enthralling to keep up with as a supporter, especially if they happen within a short space of time.
One of the most intense transfer sagas of all time was when United resigned Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus in 2021, for an initial fee of £12.9m, all of which happened within the space of a few days.
The legendary striker revealed he was close to joining United’s biggest rivals Manchester City before a phone call from his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson helped to ensure he returned to the red side of Manchester rather than betray his former club and join City.
On the other hand, you can have transfer sagas such as the Jadon Sancho deal to join Manchester United. That was a saga that was drawn out for well over one year, and it took Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side a long time to get the deal over the line. Originally, they wanted to sign the English winger in 2020 but had to settle for the deal in 2021, paying Borussia Dortmund £73m.
In the last few years, the Red Devils have been embroiled in another transfer saga, with manager Erik ten Hag supposedly hoping to recruit one of his former players for the last few years.
Frenkie de Jong’s career in numbers
The man in question here is former Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong, now a key player for Xavi’s Barcelona side. In 2022, there was a rumour that United had agreed on a deal with Barcelona to sign Ten Hag’s former midfielder, but De Jong’s reluctancy over the move ended up preventing the deal from going through.
Now, as the 2024 summer transfer draws ever nearer, a report from a publication in Spain says United are still interested in bringing De Jong to Old Trafford, and that they are “prepared in case there is the opportunity to sign him”. United are not the only club interested, according to the report, with PSG also thought to be keen on signing De Jong should the chance arise.
The midfielder has played a starring role for Barca this season, featuring in 30 of their games, sometimes at centre-back, and scoring twice. He also has a superb relationship with Ten Hag, his manager at Ajax. The United boss helped De Jong to break through and put his name up in lights for one of Europe’s biggest clubs, playing 59 times under the current United boss in total.
It is certainly easy to see why the Red Devils, and many other top European clubs, are interested in signing the Dutchman. In possession, he is a master, one of the finest progressors of play in the world, both as a ball carrier and with his line-breaking passes.
According to Fbref, De Jong averages 3.80 progressive carries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 8% of La Liga midfielders, and 2.86 carries into the final third per 90 minutes, which places him in the top 3% amongst midfielders in Spain’s top flight. He is one of the most press-resistant players in world football, able to receive the ball on the half turn and glide past opponents.
The former Ajax midfielder’s progressive passing numbers are even better, averaging 9.25 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 2%, 0.66 through balls per 90 minutes, which places him in the top 3%, and 10.3 passes into the final third per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 1% of La Liga midfielders. De Jong’s line-breaking passes are so simple, yet so effective, and he can progress play with ease.
Every team must surely be envious of Barca, with them having a midfielder of De Jong’s quality on their side. He is so good that legendary midfielder and current Barca manager Xavi says he is “one of the best midfielders in the world”. It is hard to argue against him.
With all that in mind, there is perhaps no better player for one of Manchester United’s most exciting prospects, Kobbie Mainoo, to learn from, should the Red Devils bring him to the club. He is currently valued at £42.8m, as per CIES Football Observatory, although Barca would likely demand double that amount.
How De Jong would bring out the best in Mainoo
Mainoo has risen to fame this season for United, going from an academy starlet on the fringes of the first team to a superstar who is now starting every week for the Red Devils. He has played 27 games in 2023/24 and has also made his England debut.
Stylistically, Mainoo is very similar to De Jong. Like the Dutchman, he is a wonderful ball-carrier and a superb progressive passer. According to Fbref, he averages 0.39 through balls per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 10% of midfielders in Europe. Similarly, Mainoo is a silky passer and has the ability to break the lines and thread passes through to his teammates ahead with ease.
His 2.43 attempted take-ons per 90 minutes and his 1.27 successful take-ons per 90 minutes rank him in the top 16% and top 15% of midfielders in Europe. Indeed, Mainoo is a wonderful carrier, gliding across the pitch and having the ability to ride challenges of the opposition players.
There are many similarities between the two players. In that sense, the Dutchman is the perfect player for Mainoo to learn from. Although still just 26 years old, he has bags of experience at the top level and is a very similar player to the United youngster.
With that being said, there is also the argument that playing Mainoo and De Jong in a pivot could restrict the abilities of one of them. One of the duo would likely have to be the sitting midfielder, shielding the back four whilst the other forays forward. Of course, they could rotate this role, but if United buy an out-and-out defensive midfielder, it would surely suit the balance of the squad more.
Either way, it is something that United must consider. Should they sign De Jong, it could well stunt the growth of Mainoo on the pitch, but there is little doubt the 19-year-old could learn a lot from him. It feels like a double-edged sword for United, and a path they must tread carefully over the next few months.
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