Frenkie de Jong transfer alternative 'dreams' of Man Utd

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could look to re-sign Sofyan Amrabat if a move for Frenkie de Jong fails.

The Dutch boss has reportedly made it clear that a holding midfielder is next on his wish list after the double swoop of his former players Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich.

An obvious candidate would be ex-Ten Hag playmaker Frenkie de Jong. The Dutch ace has been admired by United for some time, and reports suggest that another Red Devils bid may be launched this summer.

However, De Jong has stated he's happy at Barcelona and was left upset during the last United saga after an offer was accepted. If a second move fails, then Ten Hag could turn to Amrabat, who spent last season on loan at Old Trafford and impressed Paul Scholes.

The list of Ten Hag's former Ajax players who now grace Old Trafford includes Lisandro Martinez, Antony, and Andre Onana. De Jong could become the next name on the list.

The Barcelona man was on the verge of joining United in 2022 amidst the Catalan club's financial turmoil and saw a £56million bid accepted for his services.

This upset the 27-year-old, however, who believed that agreeing to such a proposal damaged his reputation. Personal terms between De Jong and United were not agreed upon, and the Dutchman has remained in La Liga ever since.

"Staying at Barca? Yes, I’m very happy in Barcelona with my family, for sure," De Jong revealed when queried about a move away from Barcelona this summer. "Hansi Flick wants me to be key. I talked to him. It was good."

However, with his deal expiring in 2026, things may align that De Jong becomes yet another ex-Ajax star to join the Red Devils.

If this deal falters, which it is likely to do, then a clear alternative lies in the form of Amrabat. The 27-year-old featured quite regularly under Ten Hag last season, making 30 appearances in all competitions.

He was also noticeably impressive during the Red Devils' FA Cup final triumph against Manchester City, after which club legend Paul Scholes praised the midfielder.

Scholes captioned an Instagram post of Ambrabt with the statement: "Like a prime Gattuso today." The great Englishman's choice to reference Italian stalwart Gattuso, one of the finest defensive minds of his era, indicates how highly he rates the Moroccan on his day.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Amrabat also dreams of returning to Old Trafford after being sent back to parent club Fiorentina.

Ten Hag is still determined to land another midfielder this summer with Manuel Ugarte currently his No 1 option. The United boss is however keeping his options open with De Jong and Amrabat still being heavily considered.

Speaking about the Fiorentina star last season, Ten Hag said: "He's very dynamic, he's very good in the duels. Sofyan fits very well to the Premier League."