Talks between Manchester United and Barcelona have been accelerating over the last few days for the signing of De Jong for around £56million plus add-ons.
It is looking increasingly likely that Erik ten Hag will get his priority purchase this summer, but the key to the success of the move will be ensuring his strengths are played to, and he'll have the perfect manager to do just that.
The now 25-year-old midfielder was used heavily under Ten Hag’s reign at Ajax. He was often deployed as a deep-lying playmaker in a double pivot with a partner.
He also played at centre back often alongside Matthijs de Ligt who is now playing for Juventus. We first saw De Jong operate in a midfield three at Ajax, but when Ten Hag switched to the 4-2-3-1 formation, that’s where we saw the Dutch international’s qualities shine.