{"id":5485,"date":"2026-05-07T17:16:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T17:16:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=5485"},"modified":"2026-05-07T17:16:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T17:16:54","slug":"jaap-stam-offers-to-help-man-utd-sign-world-class-barcelona-star-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=5485","title":{"rendered":"Jaap Stam offers to help Man Utd sign ‘world-class’ Barcelona star | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n\t\t\"Sunderland\t<\/div>
Frenkie de Jong would be an \u2018ideal\u2019 summer signing for Manchester United, says Jaap Stam (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jaap Stam says he would be willing to help Manchester United should the club pursue a deal for \u2018world-class\u2019 Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong in the summer transfer window. <\/p>\n

United focused on bolstering their misfiring attack last summer, with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko all signing on the dotted line for a combined fee of around \u00a3200million.<\/p>\n

The Red Devils also turned to the transfer market for a new goalkeeper after Andre Onana\u2019s error-strewn two-year spell with the gloves \u2013 and Senne Lammens was signed from Royal Antwerp in an \u00a318m deal on deadline day.<\/p>\n

But now that United have wrapped up qualification for the Champions League, the debate surrounding possible incomings and outgoings for next season has intensified.<\/p>\n

Amid the uncertainty surrounding Michael Carrick\u2019s position, central midfield has been identified as the key priority by Old Trafford bosses, and an ever-growing list of high-profile names have been linked in recent weeks and months.<\/p>\n

England duo Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton remain firmly on United\u2019s radar, along with the likes of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Tyler Adams, Alex Scott and Mateus Fernandes.<\/p>\n

But according to club legend Stam, United should strongly consider reviving their interest in De Jong having missed out on a deal for the Dutchman back in the summer of 2022.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"FC\t<\/div>
De Jong is enjoying his seventh season with Barcelona (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\t\t\"Frenkie\t<\/div>
The Netherlands midfielder has been plagued by injuries since joining Barca (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though De Jong has struggled with injuries throughout much of his seven-year stay with Barca, Stam is confident his fellow countryman would be an \u2018ideal\u2019 addition at the Theatre of Dreams.<\/p>\n

\u2018Frenkie de Jong would be the ideal player for Man Utd, I think, to help them out because he\u2019s so good on the ball,\u2019 the former United and Netherlands centre-back told ComeOn.<\/p>\n

\u2018We can discuss his physique in the Premier League, maybe, because if you go into one-vs-ones or the tackling part of it and the physical part, then of course he\u2019s not the biggest, but he\u2019s a very good player.<\/p>\n

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\u2018And I think looking at Michael Carrick, how he wants to play, he also wants players who can control the game with the ball at their feet and be very dominant. Then you don\u2019t need to defend very much.<\/p>\n

\u2018But Frenkie, yeah, he\u2019s a world-class player. He\u2019s one of the best midfield players there is, and he\u2019s very comfortable on the ball, especially playing out from the back and dictating that and helping the team out to go forward and get into the final third to score goals.<\/p>\n

\u2018So, if the opportunity was there for United, I would help them out. I\u2019ll go on my bike to Barcelona and bring him to United, no problem.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Aston\t<\/div>
Van de Ven would be a \u2018great player\u2019 for United, according to Stam (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

United have also been credited with an interest in De Jong\u2019s Netherlands team-mate Micky van de Ven, whose club future is up in the air after a disastrous season for relegation-threatened Tottenham.<\/p>\n

But while Stam has no doubts that Van de Ven would be a \u2018great player\u2019 for United, he believes the competition to sign the defender may be fierce this ummer, especially if Spurs go down.<\/p>\n

\u2018Micky van de Ven is ready to step up. I think he\u2019s very good at adapting to a certain level. And every time he picks that up, if he makes the next step to a higher level, then he becomes a better player himself,\u2019 Stam added.<\/p>\n

\u2018So for him, I won\u2019t say it\u2019s very good for him to leave, because I still think Spurs is, of course, a very big club, but they\u2019re in a situation now that it\u2019s very difficult for themselves, but also for him maybe to stay if he wants to move on.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"FA\t<\/div>
Stam won a historic treble with United in 1999 (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Then there\u2019s probably a team that wants to pick him up that can play on the opposition\u2019s half with a lot of space in their back. So you need to have defenders who are very quick, who\u2019ve got pace, who can cover that. <\/p>\n

\u2018Micky would probably go to one of the top teams in the Premier League, like Liverpool but also he could go to United, because he would be a great player for United. So he can play as a left-back, he can play as a centre-back.<\/p>\n

\u2018Those type of players in your squad are ideal, I think, for a manager in making choices, but also that you\u2019re confident when you play that when the opposition gets past you or puts that ball over the top, that you have players who can defend that big space.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Manchester\t<\/div>
United secured Champions League qualification with victory over Liverpool last weekend (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stam has been blown away by the manner in which Carrick has managed to transform United\u2019s fortunes after picking up the pieces from Ruben Amorim\u2019s turbulent 14-month reign.<\/p>\n

And given the experienced managers that have been and gone in post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, the 1999 treble winner thinks it is time to go down a different route.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think it\u2019s very hard not to give Michael Carrick the job, I think he deserves it. If you look at when he stepped in, how the team was playing, and what he\u2019s changed within the group and the club,\u2019 Stam \u2013 a part of United\u2019s treble-winning squad of 1999 \u2013 went on.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think the feeling with the fans, some good, effective football, and the results, which are, of course, very important, getting into the Champions League. I cannot imagine that the owners would go for somebody else.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Manchester\t<\/div>
The Red Devils return to top-flight action away to Sunderland this weekend (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018If you look at more experienced coaches and managers coming in, they\u2019ve done that and tried that before. They didn\u2019t succeed in the past, so they find it very hard. When is the right time to give Carrick that job? Otherwise, you never gain experience. <\/p>\n

\u2018Not experience at a big club like United. You can have some experience leading other teams, of course, but to lead a club like United, you need to do that to get that experience, to feel how it is. I think now is the second time that he\u2019s done it.<\/p>\n

\u2018He\u2019s had a great spell now, he\u2019s done very well, so I think you need to do that. I cannot imagine there are no talks going on now or starting because if he wants to go on as a manager, he needs to have a look at other clubs now himself if he wants to change that somewhere else, if he wants to bring in players somewhere else. <\/p>\n

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Should Carrick get the full-time job at Manchester United?<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018So this is the time to make decisions, and after this success by getting into the Champions League, I can\u2019t imagine not talking to him now and saying, \u201cOK, we want to go and give you a contract for maybe for the next season or the next two seasons and see how it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018And there are always talk with fans, or people are always saying when they\u2019re not successful, \u201cOK, then it\u2019s the lack of experience or he\u2019s too young or we should have brought in this manager.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018But he knows the club very well. And I think it\u2019s very positive that he knows what happened before, maybe the new owners came in, and how the club needs to be run and what needs to be done and what the feeling is as a United manager or as a United player. <\/p>\n

\u2018He can bring that feeling to the players, and I think that\u2019s already what he\u2019s been doing. <\/p>\n

\u2018And together with great people on the board, people who are very committed and want to make changes, I think you can help a young manager like him in making that next step or to become very successful for the club.\u2019<\/p>\n

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