Three Frenkie de Jong alternatives Manchester United should consider

Manchester United have been widely linked with a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. It has been suggested that Erik ten Hag wants to reunite with the Dutch midfield maestro having formerly managed him at Ajax.

Barcelona are said to be open to the idea of selling de Jong in order to cope financially. Midfield is an area where they are full of options and have some bright young talents as well which means de Jong is the most sellable player for the Blaugrana in order to balance their books.

However, the major stumbling block in the deal is Manchester United's lack of Champions League football. The Red Devils might have to consider alternatives of the Dutch maestro as they desperately need to bolster their midfield ranks.

Here we take a look at three alternatives Erik ten Hag should consider:

Youri Tielemans - Leicester City

Tielemans looks destined for a move away from Leicester City this summer and the Foxes will also be keen to sell the Belgian international as he has just one year left in his deal.

Arsenal were reportedly chasing the Belgian but they have also missed out on a Champions League qualification. Manchester United could consider a move for the former Monaco star who would add plenty of quality to their midfield.

Ruben Neves - Wolverhampton Wanderers

Another Premier League midfielder who could be on the move this summer is Ruben Neves. The Portuguese international is wanted by Barcelona but the Catalan giants are struggling to come up with the finances for this deal to happen.

Premier League proven and still pretty young, Neves would be a fantastic addition to the Manchester United midfield. The fact that he is comfortable playing either as a number six or a number eight makes him perfect for Ten Hag's side.

Joao Palhinha - Sporting CP

Another Portuguese midfielder Manchester United could consider signing is Sporting midfielder Joao Palhinha. The 26-year-old has been excellent for his club over the last few seasons and is on high demand.

Palhinha is predominantly a number six with excellent defensive attributes, something the Red Devils have been missing for years now. With such a destroyer in their ranks, Manchester United midfield would become a lot stronger and stable and their backline will be exposed a lot lesser as well.