Former Man United star has told club not to go ahead with the signing of Frenkie de Jong

Mikael Silvestre, a former Manchester United defender, has advised the Red Devils not to sign Frenkie de Jong this summer.



Since Erik ten Hag assumed his role at United, De Jong, 26, has been frequently associated with a transfer to Old Trafford.

The midfielder eventually turned down United’s summer attempts to sign him in 2022, even after a deal with Barcelona was reached.

He is open to a transfer away from La Liga giants now and several clubs have entered the race to sign him.

Man Utd are anticipated to re-enter the competition to sign De Jong, although Silvestre has cautioned that doing so would impede the progress of Kobbie Mainoo.

The ex-United star told Bettingexpert.com: “If a player like Frenkie de Jong is available, he should be considered.

But again you look at Kobbie and we talked about Scott, and we have Casemiro here.

“Will De Jong be an upgrade? Of course. Ahead of Kobbie but if you want to continue developing Mainoo and give him the time, I don’t think De Jong should come in.”

He added: “If you qualify for the Champions League, then signing De Jong makes sense. You have to consider him for sure.

“He’s a top player but putting him in a midfield where the manager likes to play with two defensive midfielders, if you play with three, it could be a different proposition.

“So the answer is yes, do consider him.”

ten Hag has worked with de Jong at Ajax and the pair enjoyed great success together at the Dutch club.

Apart from domestic success, they both managed to reach the semifinals of the Champions League, where they were beaten by Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham.

The Dutch manager knows de Jong well and the Netherland international has previously shown how he can shine under ten Hag’s coaching.

When a player like de Jong is available in the market, it would be foolish not to pursue him.