Frenkie de Jong | The last muppeting lap

Frenkie to United?


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Pearl.Jam

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People are laughably short sighted when it comes to this signing. He's one of those players its worth waiting for and it dragging on. None of the other options come close.
Exactly, if this is the guy ETH wants above all else then I’m more than happy to play the long game and make Barca have their own squeaky bum moment..it’s about time we stopped being taken for mugs in the transfer market
 

Aeryis

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Don’t kid yourself. If City or PSG went in for him we wouldn’t even be in the equation.
Stop worrying for no reason. Neither team will be going for FDJ, it makes no tactical sense. City has Rodri and PSG has Veratti. Unlike us, these teams don't buy players just for the sake of buying them.
 

Brownie85

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Seems like not too much has happened overnight... has the meltdown slowed any or are people still convinced that the deal is dead and buried
 

hellhunter

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It’s been in the news for a good 2 months and every man and his dog knows Barca want to get rid. If City or PSG haven’t bid for him by now they never will.
They could also simply wait for his wage issue to be resolved before getting active. Don't think that's going to happen, but you can't really rule it out
 

Brownie85

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People are laughably short sighted when it comes to this signing. He's one of those players its worth waiting for and it dragging on. None of the other options come close.
I completely agree with you, but people seem to think that Neves is the solution should de Jong not come. Add on Tielemans too.. so buying 2 players, not really anywhere near de Jongs class, which their respective clubs would demand an extortionate amount of money for too. Yep great idea
 

Brownie85

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They could also simply wait for his wage issue to be resolved before getting active. Don't think that's going to happen, but you can't really rule it out
Why would they? They're both oil clubs, if they wanted the player they could pay the wages themselves with an "inflated transfer fee". They could basically say we'll give you €100m euro fixed, pay off his wages and the rest is the transfer fee.
Not sure how legal that would be, but i imagine theres not much they can do about it if they were to do that
 

EtH

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Stop worrying for no reason. Neither team will be going for FDJ, it makes no tactical sense. City has Rodri and PSG has Veratti. Unlike us, these teams don't buy players just for the sake of buying them.
I’m not worrying. I don’t even think there’s anything to worry about at this point. I was simply making a point. One which is also very relevant to why this transfer very well might not happen and why we should be looking at alternative targets.
 

Revaulx

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Really concerning that EtH is now sending messages that he is prepared to wait beyond the start of the season. For someone who would be our playmaker/talisman you need to know very soon if he is going to be part of the squad or not ASAP; then coach the team accordingly.
It’s certainly not ideal, but “really concerning” is way OTT. Nobody’s expecting us to win the league this season, so a less than stellar start to it isn’t going to affect much in the long run. The manager and coaches are going to have their work cut out with the other players in any case; if they really believe that parachuting in a “talisman” will suddenly make all our problems disappear, then we really are doomed.

If ETH is able to get us going without Frenkie, then having him as the icing on the cake will be ideal. Expecting him to be our messiah is bound to lead to disappointment; see Pogba etc.
 

hellhunter

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Why would they? They're both oil clubs, if they wanted the player they could pay the wages themselves with an "inflated transfer fee". They could basically say we'll give you €100m euro fixed, pay off his wages and the rest is the transfer fee.
Not sure how legal that would be, but i imagine theres not much they can do about it if they were to do that
City could've done the same with Haaland last summer and still waited for his release clause to become active. Just because they have stupid amounts of money doesn't mean they're going to splash it around all time. City more so than PSG.

I'm not saying that this is happening, but it's not that outlandish
 

Plant0x84

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It has nothing to do with inferiority complex, it's just a simple truth that there are more attractive projects around at the moment.

Now I've seen nothing to suggest he'd prefer say City or PSG over us, but at the same time, it's only been us in the hunt, so spinning to story of him wanting to reunite with his old coach is easy. If there was serious competition for his signature, the narrative might be different
We’ll have to agree to disagree. I think other teams might be ‘as attractive’ but I don’t think any of them are more attractive, and our USP for Frenkie is ten Hag. We had an awful season last year, but prior to that we were challenging for trophies and consistently finishing top 4, especially under Ole.
 

hellhunter

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We’ll have to agree to disagree. I think other teams might be ‘as attractive’ but I don’t think any of them are more attractive, and our USP for Frenkie is ten Hag. We had an awful season last year, but prior to that we were challenging for trophies and consistently finishing top 4, especially under Ole.
Well we'd be competing with clubs consistently winning trophies, not just challenging for them. Some players may value this higher than working for their former boss, others may not
 

Plant0x84

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Don’t kid yourself. If City or PSG went in for him we wouldn’t even be in the equation.
I politely disagree. City and PSG are oil rich and generally walk their leagues and yet still can’t lift the CL. They are nothing special.
Also from the stance he is taking over his wage situation, Frenkie seems principled and loyal so if he’s had conversations with ETH and said he’ll come, I think he would regardless of any other interest.
 

RkkMan

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City could've done the same with Haaland last summer and still waited for his release clause to become active. Just because they have stupid amounts of money doesn't mean they're going to splash it around all time. City more so than PSG.

I'm not saying that this is happening, but it's not that outlandish
But why would they need Utd to sort out this particular issue? City especially have a much better recruitment team than Utd they certainly wouldn't need a bunch of incompetent fecks to open a path for them for a player they REALLY want. Not to mention Barcelona offered a chance for a swap with Bernado Silva and they said no. Suggesting City come in for him is outlandish
PSG as well because they have Verratti, have signed Vitinha and about to sign Renato Sanches
 
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City could've done the same with Haaland last summer and still waited for his release clause to become active.
nar, Haaland and Raiola were not even slightly interested in such a deal. His entire move to Dortmund was fixed in way that they (and Haaland’s Dad) would be sharing the biggest part of the transfer deal, not fecking Dortmund.
The new team would get a 130m player for 50m, and the bulk of that “saving” was going to enrich Haaland and his team.
 

Dannn411

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What is annoying is that by briefing that they are ready to dig in on this transfer till the end of the window, the club is essentially signalling that De Jong will likely be the end of our summer business and if that is the case, then its no more than a 6/10 with De Jong signed and a 5/10 if De Jong does not join. Depending on where the manager sees Martinez, it will mean that no single critical need was thoroughly addressed (DM, RB, RW, CF) yet again and overall team improvement is marginal at best while others are addressing their critical squad needs decisively. This is not the window that was required after last season.
 

TheReligion

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United have agreement with both Barca and the player (allegedly).

Chelsea were mentioned briefly and it was quickly shot down.

I think he has promised Ten Hag and wouldn’t go back on that. If he leaves it’s to United.
 

Bertie Wooster

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All for playing the long ball game, as long as our owners set aside the amount as an addition should it happen, rather than take half of our summer budget away. But we know how that plays out. So if we can’t buy other players in the meantime, and we don’t end up getting De Jong, we are in trouble.
That is a slight worry I've got at the moment. The longer they both (FDJ and Ronaldo) drag on, the more it effects other potential incomings as well.

I'm not seeing any transfer talk of other incomings to the level we were with Malacia, Martinez and Eriksen.

While we were still addressing other necessary areas as well, it made the dragging on of this, and the Ronaldo situation, less of a hindrance to deals.

But now, with us not knowing whether FDJ is coming, or if Ronaldo is leaving so needs to be replaced this summer with an expensive addition, then that's a potential, say, £120m+ outlay that we may or may not be spending on those two areas this summer. Until we know if we are or not, I can't see (m)any additions in other areas. So we could really do with some kind of resolution either way - certainly on the Ronaldo situation (looks like we'll hold out for FDJ for as long as possible) - then the club know where we stand budget wise.
 

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Brobbey the other example
Yep hilarious to think our recruitment team would be clueless given years of successful transfer windows. Oh wait it’s the opposite. Every fan has the right to think they’re the most incompetent bunch of clowns in the world, and agreeing a fee without the player agreeing to join us is exactly what they’ve done.
 

DomesticTadpole

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But why would they need Utd to sort out this particular issue? City especially have a much better recruitment team than Utd they certainly wouldn't need a bunch of incompetent fecks to open a path for them for a player they REALLY want. Not to mention Barcelona offered a chance for a swap with Bernado Silva and they said no. Suggesting City come in for him is outlandish
PSG as well because they have Verratti, have signed Vitinha and about to sign Renato Sanches
Didn't Sanches play for Galtier at Lille. Funny that, a manager wanting someone he has worked with before.
 

Brownie85

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But why would they need Utd to sort out this particular issue? City especially have a much better recruitment team than Utd they certainly wouldn't need a bunch of incompetent fecks to open a path for them for a player they REALLY want. Not to mention Barcelona offered a chance for a swap with Bernado Silva and they said no. Suggesting City come in for him is outlandish
PSG as well because they have Verratti, have signed Vitinha and about to sign Renato Sanches
Forgot about the swap deal offered with Silva. They're just not interested and thats pretty much how it is.
Same with Chelsea, they could have done a swap with Azpilucuetta and Alonso, it was mooted, but never occured. So that tells me that de Jong himself was never interested in Chelsea, so that was a non starter.
Not sure why people find it hard to believe that he really would want to come to United and be the main man and have everything built around him.

PSG, Chelsea, City... they're just not interested or they know that when stuff is sorted, he's United bound regardless
 

hatchetmac

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Reading through some of the comments on here no wonder some people believe that the Earth is flat.
 
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PSG, Chelsea, City... they're just not interested or they know that when stuff is sorted, he's United bound regardless
People are daft with PSG, most players still don’t want to play in that league.
United, even whilst shite, regularly finish above Chelsea, and likely ETH old players trust their gaffer to make it so again this season.
Most years it’s a toss of a coin who’ll finish above the other out of United & Chelsea. Neither will challenge for the league.

City, with Pep, and huge money & success, that’s a toughy to turn down though.
 

Daslogisch

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I don’t think that scenario exists (well, that United end up with nothing exists, but not FdJ at Barça on his current wage), hence why they have negotiated his sale and why in every single interview Laporta says “he needs to reduce his wage” to stay.
Salary cap rules in La Liga won’t allow that scenario, so we’re in total disagreement there.
Have you read the whole post? Who says this salary thing cant be resolved if Barca ships out other players? Frenkie is just the easiest one to resolve it clearly, that's why they have been pushing this move. However if that doesn't work out, who says that if Barca can't fix it by getting rid of multiple other players.

Barca doesnt seem to be looking at exiting Aubameyang now, but maybe if Memphis leave and Aubameyang too as well as a few of the players that they have now left out of their tour, who says that this would not solve this wage issue? Its not like these players are playing for a candy bar and McDonalds vouchers.

If Frenkie deal isn't going to work because he stands firm, Barca might be looking at other options to sell that they didn't plan at first. For me Aubameyang comes to mind. They want to keep him now, but if push comes to shove, Barcelona does not really need him anymore. Selling him might be an viable plan B for them to get this wage reduction done (alongside selling players like Memphis and Umtiti which they are already planning).
 

Brownie85

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People are daft with PSG, most players still don’t want to play in that league.
United, even whilst shite, regularly finish above Chelsea, and likely ETH old players trust their gaffer to make it so again this season.
Most years it’s a toss of a coin who’ll finish above the other out of United & Chelsea. Neither will challenge for the league.

City, with Pep, and huge money & success, that’s a toughy to turn down though.
That i can't disagree with you... City are a huge pull and regularly get success, but how long will that last when Pep finally decides it's time to go? Will they have the same pull? Probably... but who knows
 

RkkMan

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What is annoying is that by briefing that they are ready to dig in on this transfer till the end of the window, the club is essentially signalling that De Jong will likely be the end of our summer business and if that is the case, then its no more than a 6/10 with De Jong signed and a 5/10 if De Jong does not join. Depending on where the manager sees Martinez, it will mean that no single critical need was thoroughly addressed (DM, RB, RW, CF) yet again and overall team improvement is marginal at best while others are addressing their critical squad needs decisively. This is not the window that was required after last season.
Not really. If your logic was correct we wouldn't have Eriksen, Martinez and Malacia through the door we aren't making the same mistake as Fabregas in 2013 freezing all business for one player. We've already agreed a fee with Barca so we know how much we can spend in other areas. The way AWB's pre season is going we're likely going to sign a new RB and Ten Hag said he wants a forward
 

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Is De Jong a deep lying playmaker or a roaming playmaker?

@KirkDuyt
I would say he falls a bit in between. He definitely wants the freedom to move up (and to the side) instead of just playing in front of the defense. However, he's also definitely at his best when he plays in front of the defense as his goal and assists contributions aren't his strong suit.

Small disclaimer that I'm not that knowledgeble about the little difference between these positions as I simply don't know that much about the game :p
 

Plant0x84

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Well we'd be competing with clubs consistently winning trophies, not just challenging for them. Some players may value this higher than working for their former boss, others may not
City can win the league and the league cup. Same for PSG. Neither can break their euro-hex. Under ten Hag I believe we will win a cup this season and quickly challenge for the league after that. If we lift the Ropey League, that’s got to beat getting knocked out of CL at semis or quarters surely?
 

Brownie85

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What is annoying is that by briefing that they are ready to dig in on this transfer till the end of the window, the club is essentially signalling that De Jong will likely be the end of our summer business and if that is the case, then its no more than a 6/10 with De Jong signed and a 5/10 if De Jong does not join. Depending on where the manager sees Martinez, it will mean that no single critical need was thoroughly addressed (DM, RB, RW, CF) yet again and overall team improvement is marginal at best while others are addressing their critical squad needs decisively. This is not the window that was required after last season.
Wouldn't say that it's the end of our window if we get de Jong. If the right player comes along or EtH decides that what he sees on the pitch needs tweaking and only another player will do that, i'm sure the board will grant that request as long as it's not stupidly outrageous. I think they want to give EtH the impression that he's going to be fully backed, regardless, but don't go too mental
 

Plant0x84

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Forgot about the swap deal offered with Silva. They're just not interested and thats pretty much how it is.
Same with Chelsea, they could have done a swap with Azpilucuetta and Alonso, it was mooted, but never occured. So that tells me that de Jong himself was never interested in Chelsea, so that was a non starter.
Not sure why people find it hard to believe that he really would want to come to United and be the main man and have everything built around him.

PSG, Chelsea, City... they're just not interested or they know that when stuff is sorted, he's United bound regardless
Great post. It’s just not something we need to be concerned with. He is coming here!
 

phelans shorts

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I would say he falls a bit in between. He definitely wants the freedom to move up (and to the side) instead of just playing in front of the defense. However, he's also definitely at his best when he plays in front of the defense as his goal and assists contributions aren't his strong suit.

Small disclaimer that I'm not that knowledgeble about the little difference between these positions as I simply don't know that much about the game :p
Don’t worry, barely anybody on here does, they just bluster on with terms as though they do understand and nobody pulls them up on it.
 

Mickeza

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It has nothing to do with inferiority complex, it's just a simple truth that there are more attractive projects around at the moment.

Now I've seen nothing to suggest he'd prefer say City or PSG over us, but at the same time, it's only been us in the hunt, so spinning to story of him wanting to reunite with his old coach is easy. If there was serious competition for his signature, the narrative might be different
I think being made the main man under his former world class coach who will build the team around him at the biggest and most successful club in England in the biggest league on the planet is quite an attractive project personally. It’s funny - when we were winning shit all the time people used to say Arsenal/Chelsea/City had more attractive “projects” than us as they were building toward winning and now we aren’t winning we still don’t have an attractive “project” - it’s almost like it’s all just a load ABU bullshit.
 

flappyjay

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People are daft with PSG, most players still don’t want to play in that league.
United, even whilst shite, regularly finish above Chelsea, and likely ETH old players trust their gaffer to make it so again this season.
Most years it’s a toss of a coin who’ll finish above the other out of United & Chelsea. Neither will challenge for the league.

City, with Pep, and huge money & success, that’s a toughy to turn down though.
We have finished above Chelsea in 2 of the last 3 seasons but they way everyone goes on about us you would think we regularly finish in mid table. I myself ended up drinking the cool aid too until a few days ago and saw our record as 2nd, 6th, 3rd, 2nd then 6th in the past 5 seasons. The doom and gloomers would have you think we have been horrendous. Trophies should be our biggest criticism.
 
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Have you read the whole post? Who says this salary thing cant be resolved if Barca ships out other players? Frenkie is just the easiest one to resolve it clearly, that's why they have been pushing this move. However if that doesn't work out, who says that if Barca can't fix it by getting rid of multiple other players.
They can ship plenty of players, but not on the wages they are on at Barça at all, this list of players left out of the squad is incredibly unattractive. They’d likely have to ship on loan and subsidise their wages.

So once again, FDJ wages due to deferred are extreme, as are a few Barça legends. The salary cap won’t allow a situation where FDJ stays on his current deal.
 

Plant0x84

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I think being made the main man under his former world class coach who will build the team around him at the biggest and most successful club in England in the biggest league on the planet is quite an attractive project personally. It’s funny - when we were winning shit all the time people used to say Arsenal/Chelsea/City had more attractive “projects” than us as they were building toward winning and now we aren’t winning we still don’t have an attractive “project” - it’s almost like it’s all just a load ABU bullshit.
Always seemed to be a strange sense of self deprecation and self doubt amongst United fans.
We are a great, and a huge club and we are just as attractive for sporting reasons as any of the other top clubs.
 
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