United won't give up on Frankie

Frankie De Jong is the missing piece of Erik Ten Hag's Old Trafford puzzle - and the coach won't stop until he's reunited with the player he'd already coached at Ajax.

The interest for the 25-year-old midfielder has never gone away, but United's strong performances this season made the midfielder reconsider his future and realise that a move to the Premier League giants would be a big step in his career. Manchester United's win over Barcelona in the UEFA Europa League marked a change of the tide.

De Jong came face-to-face with old rival Casemiro and thinks it would be interesting to play alongside him. And if the Red Devils secure a place in next season's UEFA Champions League, the last obstacle between De Jong and Old Trafford would disappear.

Remember the De Jong transfer saga last summer?

Manchester United were unable to get a deal for De Jong over the line last summer, with the star not wanting to leave Barcelona after the clubs agreed a fee of $85 million. However, Barcelona are under renewed pressure to reduce their wage bill and could encourage the midfielder to join the Red Devils in the next transfer window to get him off their books. The time seems right for Ten Hag to get his man and for Barcelona to make a huge step towards financial stability - and at least get the transfer ban lifted.

Good things come to those who wait, they say. United waited a whole year to get another chance to convince the classy midfielder to pull on the red shirt. This time, the conditions are even better.