“He needs a team that wants to play football” - Ex-Liverpool forward warns Frenkie de Jong against joining Manchester United

Former Liverpool forward Ryan Babel has urged compatriot Frenkie de Jong to avoid joining Manchester United next summer.

According to reports, the Dutch midfielder rejected a move to the Red Devils from Barcelona this summer even after an agreement was reached between the two clubs. However, Ten Hag's side are still interested in the midfielder and will reportedly try to sign him in 2023 as well.

Babel believes that the former Ajax man should not join Manchester United as they are currently not suited to his playing style. He claimed that while Erik ten Hag is working towards molding United into a possession-based side; they aren't there yet and it would be a step down for De Jong.

Speaking to MyBettingSites, he said:

"For Frenkie I would not recommend United in all honesty. At least not today. He needs a team that wants to play football, proper football on the ground. Yes, Man United has a coach that eventually if he has the right players can do that."

He added:

"They have so far have shown signs that Erik ten Hag knows what to do, but by far it is not the level as what he has done in Ajax. So for Frenkie personally, if you go from Barcelona to United, I think that is a step down. In terms of technical aspects. I prefer to see him in a team like [Manchester] City, or even Arsenal as well."

De Jong has also been linked with a potential move to Chelsea and Liverpool.

The 25-year-old is currently at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with the Netherlands. He has helped them reach the quarter-finals, where they will face Argentina on December 9.

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Zinho names Manchester United midfielder as Brazil's best player in FIFA World Cup

Former Brazil winger Zinho has opined that Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has been Brazil's best player at the FIFA World Cup so far.

Speaking to ESPN, he said:

"He is the balance of the team. He is always in the correct place, at the right time, at the right moment to touch the ball -- not only just tackling the opponent, but also building some play with possession."

He added:

"But positionally he is so good; he sees things earlier than others. He hardly misses the tackle; he doesn't get badly positioned, so, where the ball is heading to him, he sees the move before it happens. It must be so difficult to face a guy like that: He's well positioned, he gets there before you."

The Manchester United man has played three games in Qatar so far and scored a crucial goal in their 1-0 win over Switzerland.