Erik ten Tag is confident his marquee summer target, Frenkie de Jong, will soon be confirmed as a Manchester United player in what is expected to be a total €85m deal. Given that the midfielder was reluctant to leave Barcelona and is one of Europe’s finest talents, De Jong’s arrival could prove a coup. He is versatile, too. In three seasons at Ajax the 25-year-old operated 12 times as a centre-back, 50 as a defensive midfielder, and 12 in a more central berth. After arriving at Barcelona in July 2019, he again played in central defence (nine times), as a holding player on 36 occasions and a central midfielder 93.
So, how could Ten Hag utilise De Jong and who else could the manager select in his XI if we include other current targets: Feyenoord’s Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen (a free agent), and Antony and Lisandro Martínez of Ajax?
