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Frenkie de Jong has emerged as the primary transfer target for Manchester United to fill the gap in midfield left by the departures of Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic. The Red Devils have been relentlessly pursuing De Jong to make the Dutchman the center of their new project under manager Erik ten Hag. The Netherlands international was honed under Ten Hag at Ajax and has been arguably the best in the world in his position since then.
It is apparent, that Ten Hag is very interested in signing his former protégé De Jong. He would fit perfectly into the possession-orientated, one-touch football philosophy that the manager is trying to impart at Manchester United. However, since the negotiations with FC Barcelona are stagnating, the English club should look at different options. Below are three such options:
#3 Jude Bellingham
As one of the biggest talents in football right now, Jude Bellingham is on the shortlist of many top clubs. Many teams from the Premier League are thoroughly interested in signing the former Birmingham City youngster.
Last season, Bellingham performed defensively better than De Jong, making more interceptions (1.2 - 0.8) and tackles (1.7 - 1) per game last season. Similarly, the talented midfielder is a great chance creator and an excellent dribbler, but in contrast to De Jong, loses the ball more often.
Another aspect to consider is that in comparison to De Jong, the Englishman has a lower pass completion rate (91.4 - 85.2). However, this can be traced back to the adventurous and counter-focused playing style of Borussia Dortmund.
Despite is age, Bellingham already possesses experience at the highest levels. He has already played 16 games in the Champions League and has garnered 15 caps at the international level.
Additionally, he is also predicted to be part of the World Cup squad for Qatar 2022. However, he has a massive valuation in today's market which only a few teams will be able to afford. As of now, he is valued at around €80 million as per Transfermarkt, which might be too much for Manchester United.
#2 Kouadio Koné
Another youngster who had a breakout season in the Bundesliga last term, is Kouadio Koné. The 21-year-old joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in January 2021 and has become a mainstay in the playing eleven for the German team. He made 29 appearances across competitions last season, contributing to four goals.
Similar to Bellingham, the Frenchman is an impressive player in the defensive third of the pitch. His aggression, which led to over two tackles per game, was impressive.
While not creating as many chances as de Jong, he is also a confident dribbler and passer, with a passing accuracy of around 86%. Yet, he loses the ball more often than De Jong, but is good in the air due to his height being 185 cm.
Koné is definitely less experienced than any other option on this list, especially when it comes to European club competitions and has no international caps. What he lacks in experience, he makes up for in potential and physical attributes. Furthermore, as per Transfermarkt, he would cost Manchester United just around €18 million as per Transfermarkt.
#1 Maxence Caqueret
The next player on this list is 22-year-old Frenchman Maxence Caqueret of Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon. He is a key player for their immensely talented and successful under-21 side.
The Lyon midfielder may be the least exciting offensive player out of the three. However, he is still a calm passer and solid ball distributor. He also attempts the least dribbles of the list, but has the highest success rate (61%) in this attribute.
Where Caqueret shines, are his defensive abilities. The player performs nearly twice as many defensive actions per game compared to De Jong. Another aspect, however, which can be seen as a weakness, is his aerial ability due to being just 174 cm tall.
Despite his relatively young age, Caqueret has already played a total of 11 games in the Europa League and Champions League. This can be seen as a big plus, but is not reflected in his price. The player is valued at around €25 million as per Transfermarkt and would therefore be a cheap, young, yet relatively experienced option as compared to De Jong.
