It is no secret that Erik ten Hag has been a long-time admirer of Frenkie de Jong having worked with the midfielder during his spell at Ajax.

Upon his arrival at Manchester United in 2022, the Dutch manager made his former star a priority as they spent the summer chasing his signatured.

It seemed as likely a transfer as any, De Jong linking back up with the man who had helped him rise to prominence.

Barcelona also had to offload players as they struggled with their finances and it seemed the Dutch midfielder was their most profitable asset.

Despite their attempts the former Ajax man decided he would stay in Spain, leading Manchester United to sign Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.

Erik ten Hag worked with Frenkie de Jong during their time at Ajax

De Jong has since gone on to be a key part of Barcelona’s midfield

It has been a difficult season for Erik ten Hag who has seen his place at the club come under intense scrutiny

Despite his future at the club being uncertain, one thing that has reportedly remained unchanged is Ten Hag’s interest in his former player.

It would appear that the Dutchman is heading for the exit door as new own Jim Ratcliffe rings in the changes at Old Trafford.

But he has recently been linked with the job at Bayern Munich as the German club seek a new manager following their failure to claim silverware this season.

And according to Mundo Deportivo no matter where Ten Hag ends up next season he will once again make De Jong his number one priority.

Speaking ahead of their Europa League tie back in 2023, Ten Hag said: ‘Frenkie is an incredible player and for every club in the whole world he will strengthen the squad because he has a unique quality.’

‘If you can get him in the squad your team will be stronger. In Spain he became even better. He’s a fantastic player, plays out from the back, he always has time and it was a pleasure to work with him.’

And speaking to Gary Neville for Sky Sports recently, the Dutchman confirmed his midfield plans had he acquired his number one target, ‘It would have been Frenkie de Jong and Casemiro.

Erik ten Hag has had to struggle through an injury hit campaign that has impacted his midfield depth

The Dutch manager confirmed the plan was to pair De Jong with Brazilian midfielder Casemiro

‘They would really be connected with each other. They would be really complementary to each other.

‘That’s a typical player, if you want to play the Ajax style, you need that type of player.’

And it would appear that the current Manchester United manager has receieved a boost in any future approach for De Jong.

During their initial approach for him back in 2022, the two clubs managed to agree a fee of £55million with the main sticking block being his refusal to leave Spain.

The Barcelona midfielder though, no longer appears to be as committed to the Catalan club.

It has been reported that Barcelona offered their star midfielder a new deal, one he has yet to sign or respond to.

There are growing fears within the club that with his current deal set to expire in 2026, De Jong may be eyeing a cut-price move away.

It has even been suggested that the 26-year-old is willing to run down his contract in order to secure a free transfer away when it does expire.