Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been told to end his lengthy pursuit of Barcelona ace Frenkie de Jong once and for all after months of speculation surrounding a switch.
The Red Devils have been linked with the Netherlands international ever since Ten Hag first took the reins at the beginning of last summer, but with his debut season in charge at Old Trafford nearing its end, it appears that the club are no closer to striking any kind of deal to land De Jong's signature.
Before the rumour mill can even work itself into overdrive this summer, De Jong has come out and insisted he has no intention of leaving the Camp Nou anytime soon.
The former Ajax ace was Ten Hag's priority target last summer and while a fee between the two clubs was actually agreed, De Jong dug his heels in and stayed put. The United boss knows all about the quality the 25-year-old possesses from their shared time in the Dutch capital.
However, United legend Andy Cole has called on Ten Hag to draw a line in the sand and give up any hope he may still harbour of securing De Jong's signature.
Speaking to King Casino Bonus, Cole explained: "I look at it from the outside, is Frenkie de Jong the midfield player that could do a job for Manchester United? No he’s not.
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"De Jong is a very good player and there is no disputing that, but if you look at last season’s transfer saga and you have to wonder why would Manchester United want to put themselves in that position again?
"They need to go for players who actually want to come to the club like Casemiro did. Going in for De Jong again makes them look desperate, this is Manchester United football club we’re talking about here, if you don’t want to play for them then move on to your next option."
Upon his arrival at Old Trafford, Ten Hag was well aware that the midfield was a glaring area that needed to be addressed and while he couldn't persuade De Jong, he managed to improve the position nonetheless.
Both Casemiro and Christian Eriksen were brought in to fulfil different roles in the middle of the park and raised the technical ceiling, but neither boast a profile quite like De Jong's.
With that being said, Cole's assessment of the situation is hadly unfair. United look set to qualify for the Champions League next season, which in turn means they should be able to attract players much closer to De Jong's calibre than they were able to last summer.
