Footage of Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong responding to a direct question regarding the possibility of making the move to England has turned the head of many a Red Devils supporter on Sunday.
Recent days have of course seen reports linking Dutch international de Jong with an Old Trafford switch move up a notch.
With the former Ajax standout widely understood to have been identified as the no.1 target to reinforce United’s ranks in the middle of the park ahead of next season, talks were officially kicked into gear between the Premier League giants and Barcelona over a potential deal on Friday.
Manchester United have formally opened talks to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong | @JBurtTelegraph #mufc https://t.co/RwV6VG91Lg
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) June 10, 2022
Such negotiations came amid the widespread understanding that de Jong had given his blessing to a move to Manchester, where he would of course link up with the man who oversaw the finest form of his career to date – Erik ten Hag.
On the back of his latest outing on the international stage, it therefore came as little surprise when the subject of his future was put to the Barcelona star himself.
During an interview on the back of the Netherlands’ 2-2 Nations League stalemate with Poland, de Jong was asked directly whether he intends to swap “the beaches of Catalonia for the cold of Manchester?”
The 25-year-old, though, was understandably keen to keep his cards close to his chest.
After a wry grin spread across his face, de Jong assured that ‘I can’t say anything’, not exactly putting to bed the ongoing speculation surrounding his name.
Journalist: “Are you going from the beaches of Catalonia to the cold of Manchester?”
Frenkie de Jong: “(Laughs). I can’t, I can’t say anything.” #MUFC [ESPN via @OjoDeSauron_] pic.twitter.com/vZ5AbwyuKe
— mufcmpb (@mufcMPB) June 12, 2022
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