Manchester United’s outlook for the season could suddenly look ‘much brighter’ if they manage to sign Frenkie de Jong and Adrien Rabiot, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Red Devils are attempting to upgrade their midfield options by bringing in the duo from Barcelona and Juventus, respectively, replacing the likes of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic.
What is the latest news involving Man Utd?
Fabrizio Romano revealed back in July that United and Barca have agreed a deal in principle for De Jong to move to Old Trafford for an initial €65 million (£55m) plus €20m (£16.9m) in add‑ons.
However, the Netherlands international has public expressed his desire to stay at Camp Nou and is also owed £17m in deferred wages, causing the proposed deal to reach an impasse.
And fellow Premier League side Chelsea are now close to agreeing terms with Barca for De Jong, adding further complications to United’s prospects of enticing the technician to the red half of Manchester.
Meanwhile, Romano has reported that the Red Devils have ‘reached an agreement’ with Juve over the purchase of Rabiot for an initial £15m.
The 27-year-old only have one year remaining on his current contract at the Allianz Stadium and personal terms still need to be agreed upon, although he is not seen as an alternative target to De Jong by the United hierarchy.
What has Jones said about De Jong and Rabiot?
Jones believes that De Jong and Rabiot would represent significant upgrade for new United manager Erik ten Hag but admits there is a long way to go before either player arrives at Old Trafford.
He told GiveMeSport: “If it came off in the end, suddenly United end up with De Jong and Rabiot in their squad, then suddenly everything's looking much brighter, and the whole place has been upgraded massively in terms of the calibre of the international footballers that they are.
“But obviously there's still a long way to go, and there's still a lot of hope and luck to come into the equation if that's going to happen.”
Who else could Man Utd sign?
Sky Sports have claimed that United are ‘preparing a move’ for PSV Eindhoven attacker Cody Gakpo, who is valued at around £35m by his boyhood club.
Last season, the left-winger registered 21 goals and 15 assists in 46 appearances across all competitions, firing PSV to the Dutch Cup, and he has already racked up five goal contributions in his opening four games of 2022/23.
Ten Hag’s charges have already missed out on Darwin Nunez and Benjamin Sesko and appear to have been priced out of a move for Ajax’s Antony.
Gakpo now appears to be next on United’s wish list, and the club’s supporters will surely be hoping the 23-year-old joins De Jong and potentially Rabiot at the Theatre of Dreams before September’s deadline.