It’s the off-season for all club competition, almost all of the international play currently being staged are just meaningless friendlies, so you know what that means?
It is indeed the summer silly season, i.e. time to talk some transfer rumors. So with that in mind, let’s dive right in to the latest narratives surrounding Manchester United. As of now, United’s transfer window is, well, it’s lying on the ground and you can poke it with a stick to see if it has any life at all.
All three of the players we’ll cover here today have Ajax connections, and we’ll start at the top with Frenkie de Jong, the club’s top target. The holding/central/defensive midfielder ticks off all the boxes for what United needs, and FC Barcelona certainly know that.
Add in the factor that anytime United are interested in someone the price automatically goes up because it’s United (see Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Angel di Maria, Paul Pogba etc.) and thus we’re now seeing the Catalan Club hiking up the price on Old Trafford, supposedly.
Obviously, Barca’s being in such dire financial straits is playing a big role here as well.
According to ESPN, ‘Barcelona have been looking to receive €100 million, but United’s valuation is closer to €60m with add-ons.”
Will there be a reunion with Erik ten Hag? The duo really accomplished a lot at Ajax, but we just don’t know which way the wind will blow on this one.
Continuing on with the aforementioned Ajax theme, Sky Sports reports that United are interested in two players currently with the Dutch Eredivisie powerhouse.
It’s going down, I’m yelling Timber! You better move, you better dance!
That would be winger/forward Antony and 22-year-old defender Jurrien Timber. As Sky point out, Antony is “well-known by new boss Erik ten Hag having been a regular in his Ajax team over the past two seasons.”
Doubt he’ll play in a true number nine role with United, but they certainly do need to shake up their attack this summer. The unit was poor enough as it is, but they really need to be thankful to Cristiano Ronaldo, he was the only true bright spot there.
As for Timber, we covered him in detail just last week, writing:
“His current club has no interest in letting him go. His contract doesn’t expire for two years, so there is no rush to sell. Ajax also has a spot in the group stage of the Champions League, which might also help them hold on to their versatile defensive star.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.