Manchester United have been put through the wringer over the past decade, claiming silverware throughout but always languishing below the desired position.
It's been 11 years since the Premier League title was brought back to Old Trafford; 16 years have drifted by since glory was clinched in the Champions League, at the height of the continental game.
But with INEOS working with gritty determination to wipe away the dirt and repackage the Red Devils as bona fide contenders, there's a growing sense that exciting times lie ahead.
Last season's glut of injuries prevented Erik ten Hag from implementing his vision – though he still bagged the FA Cup with victory over Manchester City – but now moves are being made to ensure growth, and there's a potential incoming that might just complete the set.
Man United transfer news
Ten Hag demands a fresh face to sit in the holding midfield position and influence play for Man United while protecting the rear with steely conviction. Manuel Ugarte is the top target and Burnley's Sander Berge has been earmarked as an alternative, but the Premier League giants could actually drive down a different road.
It's a path well trodden over recent years, a rumour that surfaces every year. According to journalist Jack van Gelder – talking on Dutch television programme De Oranjezomer – United could move to sign Frenkie De Jong from Barcelona.
He said that "negotiations are ongoing", with several bids for the Netherlands international rejected in the past but an increasingly fractious relationship perhaps swaying the odds.
Man United reached an agreement for the £63m transfer of De Jong two years ago following Ten Hag's appointment, but it didn't reach completion. Now, things could be different; the Theatre of Dreams is on the up.
What Frenkie De Jong would bring to Man United
One thing's for certain, Man United have done their homework with this one. De Jong has been profiled and pinned to the transfer board and would be an immense addition to an outfit requiring a player of his strengths.
He suffered an injury-hit 2023/24 campaign but still showcased his technical qualities, ranking among the top 1% of centre-midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 4% for passes attempted, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.
Last season, De Jong proved that he has the properties to survive the rigours of the Engish game – for a player of his ability, this is hardly a revelation but nonetheless leaves an air of excitement as rumours rise once again.
Matches (starts)
20 (20)
37 (34)
25 (21)
Goals
2
1
0
Assists
0
2
2
Touches*
94.8
53.1
67.6
Pass completion
93%
89%
91%
Key passes*
1.1
0.8
0.6
Dribbles*
0.7 (62%)
0.5 (56%)
0.8 (58%)
Ball recoveries*
5.9
5.5
7.2
Tackles*
2.2
2.1
3.9
Total duels won*
5.1 (58%)
4.8 (54%)
6.4 (53%)
As the table above shows, De Jong is more rounded than his fellow United anchor targets, with his elite ball-playing skill allowing him to star at the centre of the system and influence and dictate.
It's no surprise that the 27-year-old has been dubbed “one of the best players in the world” by former boss Xavi: his accolades are many.
While Paris Saint-Germain's Ugarte is a more tough-tackling and tenacious defensive member, he's not as creative and nor is he the kind of smooth distributor to properly charge Ten Hag's team, enhance the attack.
Indeed, the Uruguayan ranks among the bottom 28% of midfielders for progressive passes per 90, and while few offer greater tackling success, the polarity in technical acumen is stark.
It's a signing that will have a great impact on the season(s) ahead for Manchester United, and it's one that must be chosen wisely, especially when considering the kind of partnership that De Jong could forge with Bruno Fernandes.
Imagine him & Bruno Fernandes
Man United signed Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon for an initial fee of £47m in January 2020, having scored 79 goals and supplied 66 assists over 233 fixtures, being instrumental in winning the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.
The club captain has recently extended his contract at Old Trafford until 2027, speaking of his eagerness to jump into the new era, feeling his best days wearing the shirt are yet to come.
An elite-level playmaker, Fernandes embodies the creativity, tenacity and drive fitting for one donning the armband at one of Europe's pre-eminent outfits, with Paul Scholes praising him for seeing "everything on the pitch".
He's not infallible though, and he was hindered by the woes of his teammates throughout the previous term, with Casemiro notably disappointing on more than a couple of occasions in the No. 6 role – Wayne Rooney even called him "lazy" at one stage.
De Jong would go a long way toward rectifying that wrong, slotting into the centre of the field and placing passes into Fernandes' vicinity, allowing him to latch on and score, assist, create.
The Portuguese Magnifico, indeed, created 21 big chances in the Premier League last season and averaged 3.3 key passes per game, as per Sofascore, but he also chipped in with 1.9 tackles per game, emphasising the complete skillset that would allow De Jong to dovetail into the system.
In turn, Barcelona's maestro in the middle would prove to return the favour and add a layer of stability to the engine room that would allow Fernandes to perform with greater fluency and freedom.
Casemiro, one of the finest midfielders of his generation, is on the decline. The 32-year-old still offers shades of the iron-clad strength in dispossessing and overpowering his opponents, but his decision-making and control have waned. He ranked only among the top 35% of midfielders in the English top flight last year for progressive passes per 90 and the bottom 46% for pass completion.
This is all evidence that De Jong would represent the multi-skilled upgrade that Man United need to make Fernandes positively unplayable.
The club might just ascend to the next level this year, not only fighting for a place in the Champions League and pushing for silverware but going somewhere that the Theatre has not across the past decade – restoring glory of the highest calibre, at the top of the English pyramid.
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