Man Utd drop Frenkie de Jong transfer hint with shirt number announcement

Manchester United appear confident they can still land top target Frenkie de Jong this summer after announcing Lisandro Martinez will wear the number six shirt.

The Red Devils splashed out £55million on the Argentine centre-back, with new United boss Erik ten Hag completing a raid on his former side Ajax. Martinez wore the number 21 shirt at Ajax, which he inherited from Frenkie de Jong, and was expected to wear the same at Old Trafford, given the fact it's free following the departure of Edinson Cavani.

But Martinez has instead been handed Paul Pogba's old number six shirt, meaning 21 is still available.

De Jong is Man United's top target this summer and currently wears the number 21 for Barcelona - digits he has worn throughout his career in both the Netherlands and Spain.

The Dutchman would no doubt like to continue wearing the number at his new club, should Barcelona get their own way and offload the midfielder this summer, and United have seemingly kept it available for him.

Barcelona are very keen to get De Jong off their books and free up cash for new recruits.

But De Jong is reluctant to leave his "dream" club, where he is contracted until 2026, and join a team not competing in the Champions League this season.

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Reports from Spain suggest the midfielder would be open to joining Chelsea instead, but the Blues are yet to show concrete interest in De Jong and United remain confident they can still land their top target.

Ten Hag knows De Jong well from their time together at Ajax and has assured the midfielder he would be the 'conductor of his orchestra' should he leave Barcelona for Man United.

The offer may eventually become too good for De Jong to ignore given the fact that Barca have started playing the midfielder at centre-back in an apparent bid to help encourage him to leave.