How Erik ten Hag's hopes of bringing Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United failed to materialise

The early months of Erik ten Hag's Manchester United reign were littered with talk of Frenkie de Jong joining the club. Having worked together at Ajax between 2017 and 2019 - and given United's need for midfield reinforcement - it was easy to see why Ten Hag wanted to sign the Barcelona and Netherlands star.

With Barca eager to get him off the wage bill amid a round of cost-cutting at the Nou Camp, it seemed a case of when, not if, he would arrive at Old Trafford. But despite extensive talks, arranged by Ten Hag himself, United couldn't get a deal for De Jong over the line.

Having rebuilt his relationship with Barca, he has gone on to become a lynchpin for the Catalans, with almost 300 appearances to his name. Meanwhile, Ten Hag has been left wondering what might have been had he joined United in 2022.

Here's a look back on United's pursuit of De Jong and why it never became a reality…

Dream transfer

Thanks to Johan Cruyff - the Barca great as a player and manager - the Nou Camp club carries a mystique for Dutch footballers. That certainly applied to De Jong, who called his 2019 move from Ajax a dream come true.

Upon his arrival, he said: "I'm very excited about signing for Barca. I was very happy when I took the decision. I celebrated with my family, but not too much because we're still halfway through the season with Ajax.

"But I'm very happy. I've always dreamed about playing for Barca since I was little. I like the players and the club. It's the team of my dreams. I want to be an important player for Barcelona and win many trophies."

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Wife's hint

Three years into his spell in Spain, that dream threatened to turn into a nightmare as the club looked to cut costs by getting their highest earner off the wage bill. There was even talk of Barca taking legal action against De Jong after he declined to take a pay cut.

With United and Chelsea interested in signing him, many players would have happily headed for the exit door but De Jong was determined to stay and live out his dream. That feeling was shared by his then-girlfriend, now wife, Mikky Kiemeney, who made it clear where she saw their future.

With speculation peaking, she posted a video on Instagram of the couple in their car and wakesurfing and wrote: "Meanwhile... living our best life." She captioned another clip: "Found another gem in Catalunya." More than four years on from the saga, she continues to share pictures of her and her family enjoying life in the city.

United U-turn

Despite that, it seems De Jong did at least consider joining United, holding talks with Ten Hag, chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough before opting to stay put.

In his recent interview with The Athletic, Ten Hag insisted he did everything he could to make it happen, saying: "Everyone's thinking the manager is doing the negotiations, that I'm involved in financial issues, but I was never.

"Of course, I did my best. I set up meetings with him, where it was Richard and John involved as well, to pursue him to come over. He could have been very important building the team, not only that year but for the future. But we didn't make it."