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Barcelona have Frenkie de Jong to Man Utd transfer 'belief' as Newcastle info emerges
Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong remains a top transfer target for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
De Jong quizzed on Man Utd transfer links in June
Barcelona believe Manchester United are still keen on landing Frenkie de Jong, according to reports. Erik ten Hag wanted to acquire the Netherlands international back in the summer, only to settle for the arrival of Casemiro instead. Yet if the midfielder does end up jumping ship, they’re supposedly setting their sights on a deal for Newcastle maestro Guimaraes.
Barcelona star De Jong was aggressively pursued by United back in the summer, with Ten Hag swiftly identifying his fellow Dutchman as a priority target upon taking over from Ralf Rangnick.
Yet the midfielder ended up staying at the Nou Camp, believing he can be a key player for Xavi.
De Jong has been in and out of the Barcelona side in the time since and, according to the Daily Star, the Catalan giants think United are still keen on the player.
Though they signed Casemiro from Real Madrid, the Red Devils know they need to further improve their squad in order to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.
And if De Jong does depart, Guimaraes is being targeted as a potential replacement.
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It’s said the midfielder is ‘very much on their radar’, and they’d have to pay a fee in the region of £60million to recruit the former Lyon star.
Raising funds by selling De Jong to United would be a shrewd move.
But while Ten Hag remains interested, there’s nothing to suggest the 25-year-old has changed his mind on a potential move to Old Trafford.
What’s more, Newcastle won’t want to sell Guimaraes while they’re soaring towards a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Eddie Howe’s side were too strong for Aston Villa on Saturday, winning 4-0 at St James’ Park to rise to fourth in the league table.
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And they won’t want to lose their prized asset while they’re soaring, meaning any potential Barcelona transfer looks tricky to broker.
With De Jong, there have been fresh claims from Catalonia that he doesn’t want to leave Barcelona for United at the current moment in time.
So it still seems unlikely Barcelona will have the money required to land Guimaraes, who has scored twice from 10 Premier League matches so far this season.
Speaking recently, the midfielder opened up on life on Tyneside and admitted he was enjoying his football.
"I feel at home," he said.
When asked about how he felt when he initially struggled to make his mark at Newcastle, he added: "To be honest, when I started those games on the bench, I sometimes thought, 'Oh my gosh, what am I doing with my life?'
"No, no, I'm joking. Of course, it's never easy to stay on the bench, but I think Eddie made the best decision.
"It was good for my adaptation to the club, to the Premier League, and to get to know my team-mates.
"Then, afterwards, when I started to play, it was like a dream."
And, when asked about the pressure of such a move, he said: "I think, when Newcastle bought me, some fans thought I was a No 9, but Newcastle bought a midfielder, a No 6 or a No 8.
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"There was a lot of pressure because I was a national team player for Brazil, coming to a team that was fighting to stay in the Premier League and not get relegated.
"But I think I was born to play in the Premier League. I love the atmosphere. I love the intensity of the game. It is the most difficult league, of course.
“There are no easy games. But when you play well here, it makes you think you can play in any competition.
"I think that, and the pressure when I came, has helped me to develop, to be the player I am now."
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