Manchester United identify Jude Bellingham as their No. 1 transfer target for next summer.
According to renowned journalist Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United has named Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham as their top target for the upcoming summer’s transfer window.
Casemiro and Christian Eriksen were additions to the Red Devils’ midfield this summer, and the pair has already contributed significantly to the team’s success so far this season.
The acquisition of a young midfielder with world-class potential should be the next step in the rebuild, and Bellingham is currently the best available prospect.
The acquisition of a young midfielder with world-class potential should be the next step in the rebuild, and Bellingham is currently the best available prospect.
He is one of the most sought-after players in the world of football at the age of 19, and Plettenberg claims that United has made scouting him a priority.
The Financial Fair Play regulations, as well as competition from Manchester City and Liverpool, are said to make a deal with Erik ten Hag’s “wants” at Old Trafford next season unlikely.
Man Utd must qualify for Champions League to lure Bellingham
The insufficient income from player sales has been one of United’s main worries over the years. Without making any significant exits, they have spent a lot of money on transfers.
Paul Pogba’s situation is a good example. The Red Devils had numerous opportunities to offload him for a healthy transfer fee, but they ultimately lost him for nothing.
Financial Fair Play will undoubtedly be impacted in the long run by this. Champions League is a bare minimum if United wants to persuade Bellingham to join them next summer.
A significant financial boost from being accepted into the premier European competition will undoubtedly allow United to go on another lavish spending spree before the following season.
Bellingham would be a great addition for Ten Hag. He is a fully capable midfielder already. He has played in 20 games this season and has nine goals and two assists while averaging over two tackles.
He has also won crucial duels and interceptions for his team, and he has a promising future. Given Dortmund’s steep €150 million price tag, United will have to break the bank to acquire him.
Frenkie de Jong will discover three things when Barcelona face Manchester United
The playmaker was Erik ten Hag’s main summer target and his decision to stay at Barcelona will be put to the test in the tie.
So, Frenkie de Jong will play at Old Trafford after all. Erik ten Hag’s top summer target will finally be arriving in Manchester in March, just not in the way the Reds boss envisaged.
Manchester United’s punishment for failing to top their Europa League group is a play-off trip to Champions League failures Barcelona – not that fans will mind rocking up at the Nou Camp. United will visit Spain first in February ahead of the return leg at Old Trafford the following month.
This will present the opportunity for De Jong to experience the Theatre of Dreams for the first time in his career, a place he could have called home. Frustrating negotiations over the summer, coupled with his desire to stay at Barcelona, led to United pivoting towards Madrid and picking up Casemiro from Real instead.
He’ll try to make the case that remaining on the continent was the right move. In either case, he will discover three things during his brief stay on this island.
The Netherlands international will eventually learn whether Barcelona was the best place for his European endeavors. The absence of Champions League football was one of United’s major recruiting obstacles over the summer, and De Jong’s considerations were likely influenced by this.
While his team is closing the gap to La Liga champions Real Madrid, manager Xavi has had a terrible European season. With two matches remaining, La Blaugrana were eliminated from the Champions League group stages as Bayern Munich and Inter Milan advanced.
It will be a bitter pill for De Jong to swallow if United knocks Barca out of the Europa League, where they have now been demoted twice in as many seasons.
Due to their Champions League misfortunes, the Spanish club has already lost millions of dollars, and being eliminated from Europe’s second-tier competition will not help their financial stability or De Jong’s wage dispute with the team.
Second, De Jong will get a firsthand look at what the Old Trafford supporters are really like. Even without the return leg being in Manchester, the history between the two clubs will produce a lively atmosphere, and United’s recent losing streak will amp up the intensity. The stadium will undoubtedly be packed, and this may sow a thought in De Jong’s head before next summer.
Finally, the midfielder will find out if he can hold his own against the Premier League’s heavyweights. He has faced English clubs three times, losing the 2017 Europa League final to United while playing for Ajax, then losing to Tottenham in Amsterdam after their victory in the first leg of the 2019 Champions League Semifinal.
There is no better way to test a theory than to put it to the test, which is what will happen after Christmas. Of course, how the Netherlands performs at the World Cup will have an impact on the assessment of his abilities.
It will also be a good barometer by which Ten Hag can vindicate putting De Jong as last summer’s number one target. United are sure to have other priorities next summer but the contest will allow him to judge whether to keep De Jong on his wish list.
