Erik ten Hag has acknowledged his desire to have Frenkie de Jong alongside Casemiro at Manchester United in order to replicate his successful Ajax tactics.
De Jong, who departed Ajax for Barcelona in 2019, was Ten Hag’s primary target upon his arrival at United in 2022. However, despite their efforts, a deal for De Jong couldn’t materialize, leading to United’s acquisition of Casemiro from Real Madrid for £70m.
Ten Hag expressed his belief that having De Jong and Casemiro together would have been instrumental in implementing his preferred style of play at United.
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“When asked why he believed United couldn’t replicate Ajax’s style,” Ten Hag told Sky Sports, “You need the players with those typical assets. Frenkie de Jong and Casemiro, they would be really connected with each other. They would have been really complimentary with each other, absolutely. If you want to play the Ajax style, you need that type of player.”
Reflecting on United’s transfer market struggles, including failing to secure a deal for Harry Kane before his move to Bayern Munich last summer, Ten Hag emphasized the club’s high expectations and the necessity for outstanding players.
“This club can only have outstanding players because the expectations are so high,” he explained. “Manchester United is the biggest, or maybe second or third, biggest club in the world, the highest fanbase so expectations will always be there.”
He further elaborated on the challenges of recruitment, stating, “But in the last decade and in this period, we couldn’t always get the players we wanted. But then you have to build and you have to accept that you get talent in instead of players who already proved it in the past.”