And a player who's been underwhelming for his supposedly dream club for 2 seasons.
Frenkie de Jong | The last muppeting lap
- Thread starter davidmichael
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Context my friend, context. All important.
Have to agree with this. Would command very high wages that you would be paying through his post-peak years. Love Kante and no doubt he would have a good year or two but it doesn't feel like a very 'smart' signing giving he'd probably demand a long contract and so we would be paying him very high wages for post-peak years. That historically has not worked out well for us e.g. Sanchez, Mata, Matic etc etc etc.
Who knows what is true and what isn’t but I quite like this idea that we are being quite bullish with DeJong. You’re either coming or your not and we aren’t going to waste all summer trying to convince you. Take the Neves stories in to account and seems like if Frenkie doesn’t want to come then we’ll move for Neves.
As promising as Frenkie is not sure he’s really worth fighting a whole summer trying to convince to join and Neves has that premiership experience, captained a team in the champions league at 18 yrs old so must have some leadership qualities if he was given that responsibility. Honestly be happy with either of them.
As promising as Frenkie is not sure he’s really worth fighting a whole summer trying to convince to join and Neves has that premiership experience, captained a team in the champions league at 18 yrs old so must have some leadership qualities if he was given that responsibility. Honestly be happy with either of them.
This will be done soon enough bro
Absolutely, fellow muppets…I can feel it in my feelings
Polla afuera?
Like others, I too am happy the club is taking the stance that they won't waste too much time trying to convince De Jong to join if he is particularly unwilling to move to United. What I don't understand is that some people would turn him down just because he requires any convincing in the first place.
What must be taken into consideration here is that De Jong is not a Manchester United fan. He doesn't feel the same way we do about the club; when he looks at us, his first impression a side that is an absolute mess competing outside of the Champions League next season. Frankly, I'd be more concerned if he didn't require some convincing to join us, as I'd assume he was just joining for the money.
I understand people are worried about another Di Maria situation but you have to take into consideration that Di Maria was essentially signed just because he was a big name available to appease the fans, without any consideration for how he'd fit into the manager's system. What a lot of people fail to mention when bringing up the Di Maria fiasco is that he was benched for Ashley Young within about five months of joining because his cavalier, risk-reward playing style didn't fit with the more rigid style than Van Gaal implemented at United. This almost certainly would not happen with De Jong. There perhaps isn't a manager more qualified to bring the best out of him than Erik ten Hag, and if De Jong were to join United he would almost certainly become the key midfielder immediately.
Ultimately, I feel that if De Jong were to sign for United and played in a system that allowed him to flourish whilst also regularly making the Champions League and eventually even competing for trophies, he'll probably end up happy here even if he was initially reluctant to join. That's why I think the question we need to be asking is not "Is this going to be another Di Maria?" but rather "Is this going to improve the long-term prospects of the club?"
What must be taken into consideration here is that De Jong is not a Manchester United fan. He doesn't feel the same way we do about the club; when he looks at us, his first impression a side that is an absolute mess competing outside of the Champions League next season. Frankly, I'd be more concerned if he didn't require some convincing to join us, as I'd assume he was just joining for the money.
I understand people are worried about another Di Maria situation but you have to take into consideration that Di Maria was essentially signed just because he was a big name available to appease the fans, without any consideration for how he'd fit into the manager's system. What a lot of people fail to mention when bringing up the Di Maria fiasco is that he was benched for Ashley Young within about five months of joining because his cavalier, risk-reward playing style didn't fit with the more rigid style than Van Gaal implemented at United. This almost certainly would not happen with De Jong. There perhaps isn't a manager more qualified to bring the best out of him than Erik ten Hag, and if De Jong were to join United he would almost certainly become the key midfielder immediately.
Ultimately, I feel that if De Jong were to sign for United and played in a system that allowed him to flourish whilst also regularly making the Champions League and eventually even competing for trophies, he'll probably end up happy here even if he was initially reluctant to join. That's why I think the question we need to be asking is not "Is this going to be another Di Maria?" but rather "Is this going to improve the long-term prospects of the club?"
I know were all doom and gloom but I can see the appeal for him, he will immediately become our main man in midfield, and be playing for a manager who knows how to get the best out of him.
Why are entertaining this, We quite literally never learn our lesson every summer by either signing players that are almost forced to sign for us or see us as just a payday.
The fans are just as bad every summer supporting the idea of signing players that don't really want to play for the club as their 1st choice.
Even when we was on top under fergie you didn't see him chasing players that showed the slightest lack of desire to be a united player. I wish we would get back to that.
The fans are just as bad every summer supporting the idea of signing players that don't really want to play for the club as their 1st choice.
Even when we was on top under fergie you didn't see him chasing players that showed the slightest lack of desire to be a united player. I wish we would get back to that.
Missing the point. Its easier to convince Mane to leave Southampton for a team thats always in Europe and has won major trophies.
Harder to convince a player to leave a regular UCL club for one that in the last 6 years has regularly not been in the competition. My last post on such an obvious point
One thing is certain - getting De Jong in will make it a lot easier to sign other players later in the summer. If you are a player pondering what is going on at United, you are much more likely to join if someone like de Jong has joined from Barcelona.
big thunder, little rain
I don't think we are getting De Jong, this is most likely a smokescreen for other players we actually wanted to sign.
I don't think we are getting De Jong, this is most likely a smokescreen for other players we actually wanted to sign.
Has not been used right at Barça. He is one of the hardest working players on the field, yet gets thrown under the bus every other game.
If I was him, I would be pissed and want to leave. Pay 70 mil max, not 80.
If I was him, I would be pissed and want to leave. Pay 70 mil max, not 80.
I would be disappointed if he doesn’t come. Have been up late at night for Spanish podcast for an update on FDJ deal. Thats how much desperate I am for a midfielder next season and FDJ is best we can get in that position this season
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I do think we’re interested but I also think we’re swiftly moving on as he clearly has no interest in leaving Barcelona.
Seems pointless chasing this if he is clearly not interested in joining us.
Just move on to the next one instead of wasting time.
Just move on to the next one instead of wasting time.
Absolutely, fellow muppets…I can feel it in my feelings
I trust in your feelings my muppet bro
Agree with your post as a whole and have different reasons leading to the same endpoint.
The last several seasons have taught me that I would rather have a model professional than one who loves the club. What I've seen from the likes of Pogba, Rashford and Lingard has been appalling. Not to forget, many of the former players that hold the club near and dear displaying disgusting levels of nepotism continuing to allow the rot in the club to grow.
As for Di Maria, I'm actually feeling Pogba was a worse off signing. ADM came, got his house burgled and left. Pogba came and won a trophy, contributed to player power, stopped performing to his level, frequently injured with constant stories dragging on and then is leaving on a free. Would much rather he stay a season then decide it wasn't for him and have left.
Besides, it's better for a player to join and then come to love the club because of the fans and the special nights we are to hopefully create again.
I think we'll sign him. It just has that feel to it.
Whitwell also confirmed that we're discussing the fee with Barca
Reports have been accelerating in that direction today.
Yeah seems like this one will be done in the next week or we'll have moved on.
Hmm £70m for him is very questionable, a flip of a coin like Sancho. He's not a pure DM, more better as a box to box, so I'm not sure how much he's needed. Think there are cheaper and better deals to be done personally.
Since we're heavily linked to him and Timber, it seems our transfer strategy has changed from but overpriced well known PL players to buy Ajax players. Not a particularly great look.
Since we're heavily linked to him and Timber, it seems our transfer strategy has changed from but overpriced well known PL players to buy Ajax players. Not a particularly great look.
Yes it does, and it seems like we're still chasing him which tell us.....
Yeah this has gone fromoir interest, to everyone being interested, back to only us and it's the player that has to decide.
I don't think any player.is going to stay if they are being asked to leave which is effectively what is happening here. Wages would be a reason to stay but even if he is on slightly less than now the extra couple years of guaranteed money is enough too bridge that gap imo.
This should be done soon.
I don't think any player.is going to stay if they are being asked to leave which is effectively what is happening here. Wages would be a reason to stay but even if he is on slightly less than now the extra couple years of guaranteed money is enough too bridge that gap imo.
This should be done soon.
That’s why this season we shouldn’t be wasting our time trying to convince big names to come here (and by convince, let’s be honest, that means throwing money and promises at) and go for the tier below players like De Jong. 3-4 top level 7/10 players across the obvious holes in the squad would be a much better upgrade than 1-2 elite players.
If we are still interested and pursuing it then he must be somewhat happy to join. Why would we continue working through it with Barca if he’s just saying no.
Because that’s how you become a perennial mid table club.
Nope, don't like this one.
That's what I'm thinking, it wouldn't get to the stage where both sides confirm they're talking fees if the player had rejected the possibility outright.
He'd rather stay at a club that considers him expendable than come here where he could even work with his old coach. Grim.
Fingers crossed. Would be a great way to open the window if prospective players see such calibre already signed. Meanwhile, I see Neves is an assumed alternative. Why not both?
Feck me this transfer window, is going to be a nightmare!
Chasing players who don't want to join and trying to sign players, who are very good, but clearly past their prime.
It's reeks of DM first window.
Chasing players who don't want to join and trying to sign players, who are very good, but clearly past their prime.
It's reeks of DM first window.
He's 3 years older than Sancho and has 100 apps for Barcelona in La Liga, a much better league than the Bundesliga.
He's not better as a b2b just because he does better in a double pivot than as the lone no 6. In fact his best spell at Barca was under Koeman as the DM when Busquets wasn't available or as a CB even. He also plays as the sole no 6 for Holland, which LVG considers his best position.
Him having to play b2b at Barca is one of the reasons he's been relatively underwhelming. He's a deep lying playmaker.
The reason he does better in a 2 is not because he cannot defend as some have suggested. It's because he can be more adventurous (ETH's words) on the ball and take more risk.
Frenkie isn`t the type of player to slack off and he understandably needs some time to process everything, because he was actually, together with his girlfriend, very happy in Barcelona.
You can`t expect him to just jump on board with the Manchester United offer, especially seeing where they have to rise from.
However, Ten Hag knows his personality, he knows what he can and will bring if you use him correctly, so I am not surprised by this move at all and if you can get him, solely because of the miracle that Barca are in debt and are preffering for him to leave over their Spanish starlets, you should definetly grab that chance. He is a formidable player, knows what is expected from him and he can conduct the flow of a match like no other. He is well worth the money, better pay a bit more and get a big step up in quality then keep screwing around with maybe signings. Frenkie for this expected price is miles ahead of what Manchester has signed in recent years.
Does this guy bug players phones? 
Does Frenkie also believe that gullible isn't in the dictionary?
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