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Newly-appointed Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag wants Frenkie de Jong and Jurrien Timber to have their medicals done as soon as possible, according to 90min.com (via The Express).
Frenkie de Jong and Jurrien Timber are two players who have previously worked under the management of Erik ten Hag during their respective time at Ajax. The Dutch tactician now wants the pair to become their first two signings at Old Trafford prior to the 2022-23 season.
According to the aforementioned source, Ten Hag is keen to wrap up the medicals as quickly as possible. The duo are currently part of the Netherlands setup as they prepare to compete in the UEFA Nations League this month.
Manchester United would ideally want to compete in their medicals by the time their national duty comes to an end.
However, this does not mean that the Red Devils have struck a deal with Barcelona and Ajax for Frenkie de Jong and Jurrien Timber respectively. The Catalan giants will only sell De Jong for a high price. Otherwise, they are happy to keep hold of their midfielder.
If the reports from the Express are to be believed, United will need to fork out a minimum of £100 million to sign their two aforementioned targets.
Barcelona will ask for a fee of at least £65 million from Manchester United. Ajax, on the other hand, are expected to ask for a fee of around £40 million for Jurrien Timber.
Manchester United need a new midfielder and defender ahead of the new season
Manchester United's interest in signing Frenkie de Jong and Jurrien Timber makes sense as they need reinforcements in midfield and in defense.
The Red Devils need a new centre-back as the futures of their current defenders are unknown. The likes of Eric Bailly and Phil Jones could be offloaded in the summer transfer window.
Jurrien Timber is also capable of playing as a right-back, something Erik ten Hag did quite seldom during the 2021-22 season at Ajax. This would also see Timber as a potential understudy for Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot.
Manchester United also needed strengthening in central midfield as Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic near their exit. The duo are expected to leave Old Trafford in the summer on free transfers.
Frenkie de Jong is an experienced campaigner with bags of Champions League and top league experience under his belt. The Dutchman played 46 times for Barcelona during the 2021-22 season and contributed four goals and five assists.
