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Alex McLeish has suggested that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is settling for less buy chasing Frenkie de Jong's signature.
The former Scotland manager believes that the Red Devils are not in a financial position to target the best players in the world. According to McLeish, this is why newly-appointed Manchester United boss is looking to sign Frenkie de Jong, a player he knows from his Ajax days.
Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this week that the Red Devils saw their opening bid of €60 million plus €10 million in add-ons rejected by Barcelona. The Blaugrana are holding out for a fee of €85 million, as per the transfer guru.
Alex McLeish has claimed that Ten Hag would have been chasing better options if he had more money at his disposal. He told Football Insider:
“I get what you’re saying. But is De Jong going to be at the level of the Premier League? That’s the conundrum. Yes, if he had all the money in the world, he could be buying the best players like Pep Guardiola does. But possibly the money is not there."
McLeish has also shared his concerns on whether De Jong would be good enough for the Premier League. He added:
“You can actually have empathy for a guy who is going to bring players that he knows. But are they going to be good enough for the Premier League? It’s the fastest, strongest, richest league in the world.”
Will Frenkie de Jong thrive at Manchester United?
When Frenkie de Jong made his breakthrough into the Ajax side, he was widely regarded as one of the finest prospects in world football. A brilliant passer of the ball and immensely gifted technically, De Jong was brought in by Barcelona with massive expectations.
However, he has not quite been able to reach the heights he was thought to be capable of at Camp Nou. The recently concluded 2021-22 campaign was the Dutchman's best season at the Spanish club so far. The Dutchman scored four goals and contributed five assists in 46 appearances across all competitions.
De Jong had some of the best moments of his career under Erik ten Hag at Ajax and a reunion could be a great deal for both of them. Manchester United are in dire need of reinforcements in midfield and De Jong is among the best options available in the market.
