Erik ten Hag believes Frenkie de Jong would have allowed him to bring his ‘Ajax style’ football to Manchester United.
The Red Devils were locked in negotiations with Barcelona over the midfielder for months on end after Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2022.
Ten Hag had managed De Jong for two years at Ajax between 2017 and 2019, with the pair winning the Eredivisie together in 2019 before the star departed for Barca for £65million.
United had tried to tempt the midfielder then but, five years on from their initial pursuit, Ten Hag still believes he would still help him instil the possession-based style he executed in Holland.
When asked by Red Devils legend Gary Neville in an interview for Sky Sports why he previously claimed he couldn’t bring Ajax style football to Old Trafford, Ten Hag pointed to recruitment issues.
The Dutchman explained: “Because then you have to bring in players.
“So in the recruitment you need the players with those typical assets [that Ajax players have] and you can’t bring a player who is here who has a [different] style of play and I don’t want to change his nature.”
Ten Hag’s comments come amid criticism of United’s current style of play or, more accurately, a lack of one.
When asked if De Jong would have allowed him to play the ‘Ajax way’ with the Red Devils, he said: “It would have been Frenkie de Jong and Casemiro [in midfield]. They would really be connected with each other.
“They would be really complementary to each other. That’s a typical player, if you want to play the Ajax style, you need that type of player.”
Man United did manage to bring in two of Ten Hag’s former Ajax players that summer – Lisandro Martinez and Antony.
Ten Hag has also since brought in ex-Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana, signing him from Inter Milan last July for an initial £43.8m fee.
Despite this, the Dutch coach has implemented a much more direct style of play compared to his Ajax days.
De Jong, meanwhile, has continued playing at Barcelona, still making 30 appearances this term despite suffering an ankle injury.
His contract at Barcelona expires in June 2026.
News Summary:
- Erik ten Hag tells Gary Neville the one former target who would have helped Manchester United play ‘Ajax’s style’
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