Frenkie de Jong transfer message sent to Liverpool and Arne Slot
Incoming Liverpool boss Arne Slot is already struggling to shake off comparisons with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. A surefire way to increase that tenfold would be to get involved in a protracted Frenkie de Jong transfer saga.
Ten Hag spent almost the entirety of his first summer at Old Trafford pursuing compatriot De Jong, whom he had worked with at Ajax. For its part, Barcelona needed to sell players. But the player himself simply did not seem interested in reuniting with his former coach, and Manchester United finally made a surprising pivot to Casemiro.
Two summers later, though, and Slot is being urged to try and bring De Jong to Liverpool. And it's a former Feyenoord player pushing the idea.
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Speaking to Voetbal Primeur, Kaj Ramsteijn suggested that De Jong should now be ready to leave Barcelona. He believes that Slot's Liverpool would give him a better chance of competing for trophies:
“Arne Slot to Liverpool, take Frenkie De Jong with you,” he said. “I would think that would be a nice club for him.
"I think Frenkie is so good that I really want to see him play for trophies. Of course he became champion last year, but if Real Madrid sign Kylian Mbappé next summer…
“Then they will become champions by a mile in the next five seasons. Especially given the financial situation of FC Barcelona.
“And the Premier League seems really fantastic to me. He can play anywhere. He gets the ball, turns away and creates a surplus.”
Liverpool was half-heartedly linked to De Jong in the same summer that Manchester United pursued him so vigorously. In the end, a move for a midfielder did not materialize at all, save for an ill-fated deadline day loan move for Arthur Melo.
However, Slot will inherit a rejuvenated midfield. Liverpool belatedly conducted a thorough rebuild, adding Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endō and Ryan Gravenberch to the mix.
Liverpool.com says: Even with the existing options, there's a pretty good case to go for De Jong if he's available. Another midfielder comfortable in a variety of roles, he's more natural than any of the current Liverpool crop as the number six.
A real tempo-setter who also knows how to snap into a challenge, there are one or two likenesses to someone like Rodri. Meanwhile, De Jong would free up Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and the rest to make more of an impact high up the pitch.
But Slot really doesn't need a saga. While Ramsteijn may think Liverpool is a better bet for winning trophies, if De Jong wants to stay at Barcelona then it's another non-starter.