Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is fully on board with Dan Ashworth’s plans to sign Nicolo Barella and has been convinced to ditch long-standing interest in Frenkie de Jong as a result – while the bumper contract offer reportedly on offer to the Inter Milan star has come to light.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe brought in five new signings over the summer to kick off the INEOS era at Old Trafford, with Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte all arriving at Manchester United for a combined £180m (€215.5m, $240.3m). However, there remains a feeling that the Red Devils remain a work in progress and that further additions will be needed if the club are to close that gap on the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table.
One area of perceived weakness and needing further strengthening is in midfield, despite the arrival of Uruguayan destroyer Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain. Ugarte will likely be seen as the ideal midfield foil for Kobbie Mainoo to help the teenage star enhance his game further.
We understand both Christian Eriksen and Casemiro are slotted to leave at the end of the season, and potentially as soon as January in the case of the Danish star. As a result, sporting director Ashworth is already casting his eyes on potential new recruits.
The feeling that the experienced midfielder is on borrowed time was highlighted again on Wednesday night, when his mistake helped gift FC Twente an all-too-easy equaliser in their 1-1 Europa League draw at Old Trafford.
As far as new recruits go, Fichajes reported on Wednesday that United’s top target for 2025 would be Italy star Barella, who has a £62.5m (€75m, $83.6m) minimum valuation on his head.
And with Ten Hag fully on board with the idea of signing the Italy star, the Spanish publication now claim the United boss is now ‘ruling out’ a swoop for Barcelona star De Jong as a result.
READ MORE ➡️ Ashworth planning audacious Man Utd raid for dazzling world star also on Man City wishlist
Man Utd offer to Barella revealed and what player has said on Inter future
The interest in De Jong stems back right to the start of Ten Hag’s reign at United, with the Red Devils seeing an offer in the region of €75m accepted by Barcelona, though with the player’s determination to stay at the Nou Camp ultimately leading to disappointment.
That interest has remained ever since, with Ten Hag having remained keen to reunite with his former Ajax protege if the opportunity ever arose.
However, Ashworth is adamant that Barella would be a better fit – a notion that Ten Hag now seemingly agrees with and seeing the Red Devils boss finally call time on his pursuit for De Jong.
Any move for Barella looks incredibly difficult to pull off. Fichajes reports that United see his dynamism as perfect for the Premier League and would be prepared to offer him a deal in excess of €10m a season (around £160,000 a week) to ditch the Serie A champions.
But given he signed a new deal worth a reported €12m a season this summer (around £198,000 a week), that is hardly likely to persuade him to make the move to Old Trafford.
Furthermore, our understanding that Manchester City are looking at Barella as a possible replacement for the crocked Rodri in January, could throw another spanner in the United works, given they don’t plan to launch a move until next summer.
Barella also seems hugely settled at the San Siro, having committed to a new deal to 2029 with the Nerazzurri over the summer.
Speaking at the time, he told the club’s official website: “I am extremely happy and excited to sign the extension of my contract with Inter for so many years.
“I never had any doubts: I believe in this project and, above all, I wanted this signature to arrive before the European Championship.”
Man Utd scolded over De Ligt signing / battle Liverpool for Boca Juniors star
Elsewhere at United and Paul Scholes has expressed his dismay at the summer signing of De Ligt, feeling the player is ‘not an upgrade’ on perceived struggler Harry Maguire.
Meanwhile, United are reported to have joined the race to sign highly-rated Boca Juniors star Kevin Zenon.
The Argentina Under-23 international can play anywhere down the left flank, either as a left-back or a left-sided attacker, and is being earmarked as a major star in the making.
As a result, Liverpool and Tottenham have both sent scouts to keep tabs on Zenon as they consider a future swoop.
However, United have also been alerted to him given their injury issues at left-back and amid a warning from former assistant manager Rene Meulensteen over the ‘big problem’ they now face with Luke Shaw.
Barella stats illustrate why Man Utd are keen
Barella’s stats from his first five Inter seasons
Barella has consistently delivered in the goals and assists columns since joining Inter from Cagliari in summer 2019, initially on a season’s loan.
Having helped the Nerazzurri to win two Serie A titles, two Coppa Italias and reach the Champions League final in that time, Barella has illustrated that importance by contributing a total of 73 goals (22 goals and 51 assists) from 235 matches across his first five seasons at the club.
That midfield drive is seen as ideal for United – and probably give them the sort of player they hoped they’d be signing in Mason Mount.
However, as stated earlier, they would face a hugely-difficult task in luring him to the Premier League from Simone Inzaghi’s side.
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