Frenkie de Jong has already made his feelings clear about fellow Manchester United target Matthijs de Ligt - and it could be good news for the Red Devils.
United could conceivably sign both Dutch stars this summer as Erik ten Hag overhauls his squad after being handed a new contract by part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The Red Devils have previously attempted to sign Barcelona's De Jong before having to admit defeat.
However, with Barca ready to offload a host of players this summer, De Jong is potentially back on the radar. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich defender De Ligt could still be Old Trafford-bound, it is understood, despite the arrival of the coveted youngster Leny Yoro from Lille.
De Jong, 27, and De Ligt, 24, go back a long way, having both played under Ten Hag at Ajax. And they could have headed to Barca together, with the Catalans also keen on the centre-back.
However, De Ligt opted instead to join Juventus, where he spent two years before joining Bayern in 2022. Addressing De Ligt’s decision to join Juve instead of Barca, De Jong said in 2019: “He is still very young and is already like a star in Juventus. Of course, I would like to have played with him at Barcelona, but it was his decision.”
The arrival of Yoro hasn’t necessarily derailed United’s hopes of signing De Ligt. The Manchester United Evening News reports Ten Hag is open to signing three centre-backs this summer following the departures of Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala.
But signing De Ligt and/or Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite would hinge on United balancing the books and other transfer priorities. Bayern are said to want in the region of £42million for De Ligt while Everton are holding out for between £70million and £80million for Branthwaite.
But Yoro was their top target. Sporting direction Dan Ashworth said: “Leny is one of the most exciting young defenders in world football. He possesses every attribute needed to develop into a top-class centre-back. Having had such an excellent start to his career we are excited to support him in reaching his immense potential here at Manchester United.”