Manchester United head into this summer window prioritising central midfield, with two additions on the agenda due to the departures of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic. Following the arrival of Erik ten Hag, Frenkie de Jong has been pushed to the forefront.

Ten Hag has pressed for United to explore signing De Jong after sharing an excellent working relationship with the midfielder at Ajax. De Jong was an instrumental part of the Ajax side that reached the 2019 Champions League semi-finals.

Barcelona’s financial issues have meant that the prospect of a sale is plausible and manager Xavi Hernandez has admitted he will consider the “economic situation of the club” with regards to De Jong, a player he likes. Barcelona are resisting a cut-price deal, with an €80 million price tag being reported. That would be a significant portion of United’s transfer budget, which could give Ten Hag second thoughts.

An exact limit has not been set but general workings are for a possible spend of £120 million, depending on how deals are structured. United have let it be known there will be restrictions to their potential outlay, even with the appointment of a new manager. Ten Hag, football director John Murtough and chief executive Richard Arnold have all emphasised their feeling of the “potential” in the current squad in recent public communications. Ten Hag wanted to make that point publicly in his debut press conference.

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