Andy Cole tells Man Utd to abandon move for Netherlands international

Andy Cole has told his old club Manchester United to abandon a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

De Jong has played down the idea of heading to Old Trafford in the summer transfer window and insists he is ‘very happy’ at the Catalan club.

The Netherlands international was one of Erik ten Hag’s top targets last year and United had even agreed a €85 million (£72m) fee with Barcelona.

But the 25-year-old midfielder stood firm and refused to leave the club – and despite De Jong making it clear that his preference is to remain at Barcelona – United are understood to have retained their interest in signing the player.

Cole, though, has urged United to give up as he told King Casino Bonus: ‘I look at it from the outside, is Frenkie de Jong the midfield player that could do a job for Manchester United? No he’s not.

‘De Jong is a very good player and there is no disputing that, but if you look at last season’s transfer saga and you have to wonder why would Manchester United want to put themselves in that position again?

‘They need to go for players who actually want to come to the club like Casemiro did.

Frenkie de Jong has impressed for Barcelona this season

‘Going in for De Jong again makes them look desperate, this is Manchester United football club we’re talking about here, if you don’t want to play for them then move on to your next option.

‘It’s not like Manchester United is a non-league football club, the answer to the move should be yes or no, not a maybe.

‘I’m looking at the two games Barcelona played against Manchester United and you can see they were not the better team.

‘But if they win La Liga, De Jong will be thinking what’s the point in him leaving Barcelona, especially if they fix their financial problems.

‘I just want Manchester United to know they can go out there and attract any top player.

‘It’s not about money, these top players that are available will all be fought for and paid a decent wage anyway, so that makes no difference anymore.

‘Players will look at their chances to win the Premier League, FA Cup or League Cup and the Champions League.

‘Everyone wants to win their domestic league and Champions League.

‘Look at Real Madrid’s form in La Liga compared to when they play in the Champions League, it’s like they play two separate teams but it’s just a case of mentality.’

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.