Manchester United are closing in on their first signing of the Erik Ten Haag era
June 29, 2022

Football Transfers: Manchester United close to signing De Jong; Chelsea move for Raheem Sterling

Manchester United are closing in on their first signing of the Erik Ten Haag era, with the club very close to completing a deal for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. According to Sky Sports, the fee is in the region of £55 million or €65 million, not including add-ons.

The deal has not yet been finalized, with both Barcelona and Manchester United discussing the finer details of the transfer. It is believed that agreeing on personal terms is not an issue for the club and the player, with United manager Ten Haag close to the midfielder. The deal could be worth as high as €80 million, with performance-related add-ons still to be agreed upon between the clubs.

Manchester United haven't made a single signing this summer, with fans understandably disappointed at the lack of transfer activity at the club. Ten Haag hasn't been backed in the transfer market by the club's new hierarchy, including CEO Richard Arnold and Sporting Director John Murtough.

It was reported that the United manager made De Jong his No.1 target of the summer, with the Old Trafford club badly in need of reinforcements in the middle of the park. Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata and Paul Pogba have all left the club on a free this summer and the current options at the club aren't quite encouraging.

The Dutch midfielder still has four years left on his current contract at Barca and has made his intentions clear of wanting to stay at the Spanish club. But Barcelona might be forced to sell the midfielder due to their financial troubles. Ten Haag previously managed De Jong at Ajax, where he was part of the squad that reached the Champions League semifinals in 2019.

Chelsea move in Raheem Sterling

Chelsea have made contact with Manchester City over the prospect of bringing Raheem Sterling to London. The Blues haven't made a formal bid yet but could lodge one if City are interested in selling the winger.

Sterling has just a year left on his contract at City and is ready for a new challenge in his career. New Chelsea owner Todd Boehley, who is also the acting Sporting Director, is keen to bring the City forward to West London.

Chelsea haven't found a solid replacement for Eden Hazard on the left-hand side, with Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Hudson Odoi not cementing their place. Sterling could be the first signing of a new era at Chelsea, who were taken over by a consortium led by Todd Boehly.

Manchester City will not force Sterling to stay at the club even though they just lost another attacker in Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal. The champions will not bolster their attacking ranks further as they have already signed two strikers in Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.

Pep Guardiola is still keen on bringing a left-back to the club, with Brighton's Marc Cucurella being strongly linked along with David Raum and Kieran Tierney. Chelsea, meanwhile, have just lost their main striker Romelu Lukaku, who moved on loan to Inter Milan a year after arriving at the club.