Erik ten Hag tells Gary Neville who would have been the only goal that would have helped Manchester United play 'Ajax style'
Erik ten Hag believes Frenkie de Jong would have allowed him to bring his Ajax-style football to Manchester United.
The Red Devils were engaged in negotiations with Barcelona on the midfielder for months after Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2022.
Ten Hag had managed De Jong for two years in Ajax between 2017 and 2019, with the pair winning the Eredivisie together in 2019 before the star left for Barca for £65million.
United had tried to tempt the midfielder then but, five years on from their initial pursuit, Ten Hag still believes they would still help instill in him the possession-based style he executed in Holland.
When the Red Devils legend asked him Gary Neville in an interview for sky sports Why he previously claimed he couldn't bring Ajax-style football to Old Trafford, Ten Hag pointed to recruitment issues.
The Dutchman explained: “Because then you have to bring players.
“So in recruitment you need players with those typical characteristics (that Ajax players have) and you can't bring in a player who is here and who has a (different) style of play and I don't want to change his nature.”
Ten Hag's comments come amid criticism of United's current style of play or, more accurately, the lack of one.
When asked if De Jong would have allowed him to play Ajax style with the Red Devils, he said: “It would have been Frenkie de Jong and casemiro (in midfield). They would really be connected to each other.
“They would be really complementary to each other. He is a typical player, if you want to play in the Ajax style, you need that type of player.”
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Man United managed to bring in two of Ten Hag's former Ajax players that summer: Lisandro Martínez and Anthony.
Since then, Ten Hag has also signed former Ajax goalkeeper André Onana, signing him from Inter de Milan last July for an initial fee of £43.8 million.
Despite this, the Dutch coach has implemented a much more direct style of play compared to his time at Ajax.
Meanwhile, De Jong has continued to play for Barcelona and is still making 30 appearances this season despite suffering an ankle injury.
His contract with Barcelona expires in June 2026.
