Is Manchester United eyeing Frenkie de Jong again in January?

English giant Manchester United was heavily linked to Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, as head coach Erik ten Hag had made him a priority signing upon his arrival at the club during the summer. However, the Dutchman reportedly was never interested in creating a move to England. Despite much persuasion, including a reported agreed £80 million fee with Spanish giants Barcelona, he chose to stay with the Catalans. De Jong was probably eager to play UEFA Champions League (UCL) football, which the Red Devils currently lack. However, now that Barca has also been relegated to the UEFA Europa League (UEL) alongside United, ten Hag has apparently reignited his interest in his fellow Dutchman.

United will be without its sensational Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who left the club last month after the mutual termination of the contract following his combustive interview with Piers Morgan. As the club looks for his replacement, while de Jong might not entirely be an attacker, playing as an attacking midfielder also serves the purpose of Ronaldo's replacement.

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Ten Hag has had a decent start to his opening season at Old Trafford and is eager to continue his rebuilding project. According to Manchester Evening News, while the Dutchman is desperate again to land in de Jong, it is presumed that the financial situation of the Blaugrana has complicated his contract.

Nonetheless, the report adds that the Dutch international has privately informed the United manager that he would be happy and open to moving to the red side of Manchester. The development comes after recent reports stated that de Jong was considering moving to German champion Bayern Munich if he did intend to leave Barcelona.