De Jong’s Man Utd transfer response, agent hint and Casemiro reaction

Ten Hag details meeting with Ratcliffe amid Man Utd bid

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Links between Barcelona ace Frenkie de Jong and Manchester United may not ever subside while Erik ten Hag is at Old Trafford. The saga, which started last summer, has already seen plenty of twists and turns, and more could be on the horizon with the Red Devils expected to sign a midfielder at the end of the season.

De Jong and Ten Hag spent two seasons together at Ajax, and the United boss was clearly impressed with what he saw. Having relayed his preferences to the board last summer, negotiations got as far as an agreed fee with Barcelona before the move fell through.

The 25-year-old resisted pressure to lower his wages or even be forced out of the club to stay put at the Nou Camp, where he has been an integral figure in manager Xavi’s title-leading side this campaign.

But with United also flying high amid a solid debut season under Ten Hag, there may still be legs in this long-running transfer saga. Express Sport takes you through three key aspects of the story so far…

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Man Utd transfer response

De Jong was all smiles as Franck Kessie’s stoppage-time winner sealed a dramatic Barcelona win over bitter rivals Real Madrid on Sunday. After the final whistle, he was asked about whether a move to Old Trafford will remain a possibility this summer.

Although the overriding message was that the Dutchman is still happy in Catalonia, he did dangle a carrot in front of United supporters by caveating his response with: “You never know, of course.”

In recent years, financial struggles have created a relatively unstable environment in Barcelona and it remains to be seen whether they will be pressured to cash in on De Jong over the coming months.

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Agent hint

De Jong’s representatives were put to work throughout the summer but a move to United ultimately failed to materialise. The classy midfielder publicly reiterated his desire to stay with Barcelona – the team he supposedly ‘dreamed’ of playing for as a child.

Once United turned their attention elsewhere, De Jong posted a picture of himself on Instagram with a big grin on his face while training for Barca. His agent, Ali Dursun, appeared to back the player’s decision by reposting the image with heart and fire emojis, suggesting that he will not pressure his client to move elsewhere.

Casemiro reaction

Despite stating that he wanted to stay at the Nou Camp, De Jong confused Man Utd fans by ‘liking’ footage of Casemiro arriving at Old Trafford before sealing his transfer from Real Madrid.

The rivalry between Barca and Los Blancos made the interaction even more strange as supporters were left to ponder De Jong’s true feelings towards a potential reunion with Ten Hag. Casemiro, who United only turned to once negotiations for the Barcelona star had fallen flat, has been a smash hit at Old Trafford since finalising his £70million switch.

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