Frenkie de Jong | The last muppeting lap

[Kostov]

Guys before you go all soppy brained again let’s engage those brains and think logically. Do you honestly think ETH would have them there hanging in without receiving some sort of assurances/encouragement? All this other shot is being pumped out by Barca’s side. They are trying to make him say that he wants to leave so he’d forgo any bonuses etc plus they are trying to drag out any potential other buyers

I think it's very naive thinking this. Do you think Chelsea went to Sevilla and negotiated a 60m transfer without some kind of encouragement from Kounde's camp? Or same thing with Martinez and Arsenal and countless of other examples. The reality is, players just like clubs constantly explore possibilities and often players feck over clubs and their managers or directors despite previously engaging in talks. It's the name of the game.

That's why is important to have stable transfer players who know this game from inside out. There is a possibility that despite early assurances Frenkie tells ETH to piss off at the end.

 

[Withnail]

Move the feck on I give up, it’s becoming too much. For the sake of the team

Too much for the team or too much for you?

 

[LuckyScout78]

If he stays at Barca. After the arriving of Lewandoski and Raphinha.

And a big reason to stay at Barca if i was De Jong is. Barca wonderkid Pedri. The Pedri boy is just amazing.

So maybe he is convincing that Barca and Xavi is gonna to build a dominate and winning team with Barca.

Barca do look really strong and dangerous in the attack. After the arriving of Lewandoski and Raphinha.

You saw the Raphinha goal? What a goal. A long shoot.


Other factors is maybe is family is settling in Barca. Weather factor?

But again. Barca is maybe coming back to a really really high top level again. They have strenght theirs defend too.


So Barca do look really strong and good in the attack. Not sure about their defend yet.

 

[Posh Red]

He’s going to join on deadline day

 

[Tony247]

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He doesn’t want to come.

Ok. I will wait until there is some indication from united.

 

[pcaming]

The believers are so in denial it's becoming tragic. He does not want to come here, never did, just accept it. I hope the club moves on from this farce sooner rather than later, we need a couple of midfielders and a forward.

 

[mu4c_20le]

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[RkkMan]

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Its been misquoted

 

[Highfather_24]

I remember when the Athletic and "insider" Whitwell reported at the beginning of the window that our targets are 2 midfielders, and 2 forwards. And also that Timber and Antony are our targets from Ajax.

We ended up getting Martinez, Eriksen and Malacia. Yeah I dont trust these lot.

 

[VP89]

Its been misquoted

Thanks for flagging that. Can you give the actual quote?

 

[VP89]

I remember when the Athletic and "insider" Whitwell reported at the beginning of the window that our targets are 2 midfielders, and 2 forwards. And also that Timber and Antony are our targets from Ajax.

We ended up getting Martinez, Eriksen and Malacia. Yeah I dont trust these lot.

Do you know what target means?

 

[Nicoseth]

Its been misquoted

Care to elaborate?

 

[Telsim]

If he stays at Barca. After the arriving of Lewandoski and Raphinha.

And a big reason to stay at Barca if i was De Jong is. Barca wonderkid Pedri. The Pedri boy is just amazing.

So maybe he is convincing that Barca and Xavi is gonna to build a dominate and winning team with Barca.

Barca do look really strong and dangerous in the attack. After the arriving of Lewandoski and Raphinha.

You saw the Raphinha goal? What a goal. A long shoot.


Other factors is maybe is family is settling in Barca. Weather factor?

But again. Barca is maybe coming back to a really really high top level again. They have strenght theirs defend too.


So Barca do look really strong and good in the attack. Not sure about their defend yet.

Shick is an alternative, I bet.

 

[Posh Red]

I remember when the Athletic and "insider" Whitwell reported at the beginning of the window that our targets are 2 midfielders, and 2 forwards. And also that Timber and Antony are our targets from Ajax.

We ended up getting Martinez, Eriksen and Malacia. Yeah I dont trust these lot.

I don’t doubt that Timber and Antony were/are our targets, to be fair.

 

[Zed 101]

I think what this window has shown us is that:

1) ETH has a good knowledge of Dutch players and the Dutch league but not a lot outside of it, and
2) ETH has zero faith in the current scouting staff/system at the club

If we do not get FDJ (and TBH ICCL) then any back up plan is likely to be a player who is either Dutch, in the Dutch league or who has previously played for ETH..... any options there?

 

[roonster09]

Thanks for flagging that. Can you give the actual quote?

FdJ wants to play for Erik ten Hag even though Manchester United will play Europa league.

 

[Nicoseth]

The believers are so in denial it's becoming tragic. He does not want to come here, never did, just accept it. I hope the club moves on from this farce sooner rather than later, we need a couple of midfielders and a forward.

I agree. The Athletic are tier 1, imo. This shit is over - we need to move on and quickly.

 

[Adisa]

Why would anyone have though they had a special relationship? Is Ten Hag is father.

 

[DJ_21]

Time to move on now… we could probably sign 2 mids for the price we was paying for him anyway… we must move on asap, season starts in like 2 weeks and we’ve got the same crap midfield as last season! The 1 position we need quality in and we’ve signed other players first!

 

[mu4c_20le]

Its been misquoted

It doesn't say Europa league in the article?

 

[AndySmith1990]

I remember when the Athletic and "insider" Whitwell reported at the beginning of the window that our targets are 2 midfielders, and 2 forwards. And also that Timber and Antony are our targets from Ajax.

We ended up getting Martinez, Eriksen and Malacia. Yeah I dont trust these lot.

Things change, and Timber was a target until he decided to stay

 

[VP89]

FdJ wants to play for Erik ten Hag even though Manchester United will play Europa league.

Cheers
Thats some misquote

 

[bosnian_red]

I agree. The Athletic are tier 1, imo. This shit is over - we need to move on and quickly.

Tier 1 for English clubs. They're just a random source for foreign clubs. People are just speculating. Important distinction. Wait for Whitwell/Mitten for United's view, or Romero for Barca's view. Everyone else is irrelevant and speculating.

 

[golden_blunder]

Do you not think De Jong could have just been stringing ETH along or at least not being clear enough either way to ensure the interest doesn’t wane from United?

it’s a scummy thing to do, but it’s the smart thing business wise. His situation at Barcelona is extremely sensitive and he would need the protection of knowing there was a second option should it go tits up there (which is very likely will).

Completely shutting off the United avenue leaves him in the situation of Barca or bust, with there being no escape route if Barca don’t budge and thus making him public enemy #1 at Barca. They’re disgraceful fans would not make life easy for him.

I doubt it because he’s his former coach and football is a very small world. What if he comes across him next time at international level?

 

[Brownie85]

I agree. The Athletic are tier 1, imo. This shit is over - we need to move on and quickly.

So by that logic, we should have all other reporters jumping on this soon and confirming it? Then United will back out and that's it?

Yeah... until then, this is just another speculative report to go with all the others.

 

[mu4c_20le]

FdJ wants to play for Erik ten Hag even though Manchester United will play Europa league.

From the athletic, not the onion.

 

[Nicoseth]

I remember when the Athletic and "insider" Whitwell reported at the beginning of the window that our targets are 2 midfielders, and 2 forwards. And also that Timber and Antony are our targets from Ajax.

We ended up getting Martinez, Eriksen and Malacia. Yeah I dont trust these lot.

Full blown denial in action here. The Athletic are as reliable as it gets. I'm sure they were targets, doesn't mean they were certain to sign.

 

[Gandalf]

I mean, they're not that unlikely scenarios are they?

Barcelona is a step down from Utd, that's the reality of it. Plus it's his dream club.

Why on earth would De Jong - or anyone -choose Europa over CL?

If recent comments are to be believed, he enjoys working with Xavi and maybe his relationship with both him and ETH has a similar pull.

I get that his is all speculative - but isn't everything that anyone's posting either here or largely elsewhere?

Fair points but are Barca really that much better than United? Of the 2 clubs only one was knocked out in the group stages of last seasons CL and it wasn't United.

I agree Barca offer more of a guarantee of CL football but that is as much a function of the weakness of the opposition in La Liga, they would really have to screw up not to get top 4 as the drop off from themselves and Real Madrid to the rest of the league is enormous. Would actually be quite funny to see the Saudis rock up and buy a couple of La Liga sides so they can experience the joys of oil clubs as we have over the last 15 years.

He may like Xavi but even last season he was complaining that he was not being played in his preferred role and this was impacting his performances and now Xavi is telling him not only will he not be the deepest midfielder but he won't be in midfield at all as he is know a back up CB. I doubt he is enjoying that very much.

Two things we know for certain

1. Barca have no intention of keeping him on his current salary
2. Frenkie has no intention of taking a pay cut

It all points to a divorce however slow and messy and the whole issue of does he then come to United ultimately comes down to the fact that nobody else is actually interested in buying him right now no matter how hard Barca fluffer accounts try to wish Chelsea interest into existence.

 

[Nicoseth]

So by that logic, we should have all other reporters jumping on this soon and confirming it? Then United will back out and that's it?

Yeah... until then, this is just another speculative report to go with all the others.

Give it time. That's the trajectory this saga is on now. Choose to live in denial if you wish.

 

[Judas]

To claim every single article that comes out of The Athletic is the gospel is so laughably false.

 

[Cassidy]

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Oh oh

 

[ForeverRed1]

I’m sure we wouldn’t be hanging on if there wasn’t some indication he was open to coming here. There must be something in it for it to drag this long.

if not we’re totally fecked and it makes no sense what they are playing at. Im sure there’s a lot we don’t know.

 

[Irrational.]

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Basically they're fecked if he doesn't take a paycut or accept a transfer

Really hope this is true and he stays. Feck Barca into financial oblivion so we don’t have to listen to all the propaganda.

 

[House Mkhitaryan]

I mean, they're not that unlikely scenarios are they?

Barcelona is a step down from Utd, that's the reality of it. Plus it's his dream club.

Why on earth would De Jong - or anyone -choose Europa over CL?

If recent comments are to be believed, he enjoys working with Xavi and maybe his relationship with both him and ETH has a similar pull.

I get that his is all speculative - but isn't everything that anyone's posting either here or largely elsewhere?

Is this new information or newsworthy in any way? "Views from the Barca dressing room is that United is a step down." (note that this is not attributed to FDJ)
Is this new information or newsworthy in any way? "De Jong is likely to share Ronaldo's view on playing in the Europa League." (clearly just speculation)

I am going to say no, neither of these are newsworthy in any way.


So your left with this being the only thing you could argue as being new, relevant information: "The Atlhetic has been told he did not have a particularly special relationship with ETH."
Sorry, but I am a bit skeptical that after 2+ months of this saga, some even reporting that ETH and FDJ are in talks everyday, that this guy has uncovered that FDJ and ETH don't have "a particularly special relationship", whatever that means. Such a vague quote without even a hint of who would have told the Athletic this. Note that in 2 months no one from Ajax or anyone close to FDJ or ETH has come out saying they don't have a close relationship - just this guy today 2+ months into this saga.

With all the absolute trash propaganda reporting coming out of Spain, I cannot believe people are taking this as newsworthy at all.

 

[Womp]

I remember when the Athletic and "insider" Whitwell reported at the beginning of the window that our targets are 2 midfielders, and 2 forwards. And also that Timber and Antony are our targets from Ajax.

We ended up getting Martinez, Eriksen and Malacia. Yeah I dont trust these lot.

The Athletic is one of the most reliable papers when it comes to this transfer stuff. We were after Timber before he decided to stay as to not potentially jeopardise his WC position. We are still reportedly chasing Antony. Also these transfers aren't linear, circumstances change, targets change.

 

[Nicoseth]

To claim every single article that comes out of The Athletic is the gospel is so laughably false.

To pick and choose which ones you believe and don't believe to suit your own whim is laughably naive.

 

[golden_blunder]

If he stays at Barca. After the arriving of Lewandoski and Raphinha.

And a big reason to stay at Barca if i was De Jong is. Barca wonderkid Pedri. The Pedri boy is just amazing.

So maybe he is convincing that Barca and Xavi is gonna to build a dominate and winning team with Barca.

Barca do look really strong and dangerous in the attack. After the arriving of Lewandoski and Raphinha.

You saw the Raphinha goal? What a goal. A long shoot.


Other factors is maybe is family is settling in Barca. Weather factor?

But again. Barca is maybe coming back to a really really high top level again. They have strenght theirs defend too.


So Barca do look really strong and good in the attack. Not sure about their defend yet.

are you Raphinhas manager? Is it possible for you to make a post without mentioning him?

 

[Offside]

Looking bleaker by the minute this one. I’m optimistic about this season but with our current midfield it’s literally impossible for us to get anywhere. Pray we’ve got a decent back up.

 

[Suv666]

I remember when the Athletic and "insider" Whitwell reported at the beginning of the window that our targets are 2 midfielders, and 2 forwards. And also that Timber and Antony are our targets from Ajax.

We ended up getting Martinez, Eriksen and Malacia. Yeah I dont trust these lot.

Ummm
We couldn't get Timber because Van Gaal fecked us and we didn't buy Antony because we couldn't afford him. This has been widely reported.

They are a news organisation not the fecking oracle.

 

[Judas]

To pick and choose which ones you believe and don't believe to suit your own whim is laughably naive.

I’ll stick to believing the more trustworthy ones, you do as you wish.