Man United step up talks with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong as Erik Ten Hag takes reins

Manchester United returned to pre-season training on Monday with new manager Erik Ten Hag in charge after his move from Ajax.

The Dutchman has a huge job on his hands to turn United around, but he made clear which players he was interested in bringing to Old Trafford from his first meetings in Amsterdam with the club’s football director John Murtough.

Ten Hag’s number one target is Frenkie de Jong and negotiations have stepped up, with United and Barcelona getting close to a deal which will see Dutch international midfielder move from Camp Nou to Old Trafford.

Representatives of both clubs have met several times, first when Matt Judge, the outgoing United negotiator, and Murtough met Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff from Barcelona months back.

Murtough has been leading all United’s transfer activity, the man responsible for getting what’s best for the club and the team after years of profligacy in the market.

Not every United fan is patient, but Murtough has been determined not to rush into paying outrageous demands and agents’ fees to those who think United are desperate.

Judge is working through the final stages of his notice before Tom Keane, brother of former United footballers Will and Michael, joins as a consultant until the end of the transfer window.

With De Jong, talks have intensified in recent weeks with United firmly understanding that Barcelona are willing to sell the player. United put an initial offer in for the 25-year-old at the start of last week and a second one at the end of last week.

MANCHESTER UNITED SEASON RATINGS: David de Gea - 8. A candidate for the club’s player of the year, the Spaniard is United’s undisputed number one and the dips in form which allowed Dean Henderson to challenge him have