“It probably was a big disappointment because Frenkie is a world-class player,” Jaap Stam told Manchester Evening News about how Man United manager Erik ten Hag would’ve felt to lose out on Frenkie de Jong’s signing.
“He[Ten Hag] needs to fill in that position with different players. Up until now, he’s doing it well, [Scott] McTominay is growing, [Christian] Eriksen is doing really well and Bruno [Fernandes] is playing better. Casemiro has come in, so he can make that choice.
“That’s really important for the coach. If you want to play a certain way, you have to have players in there who can adapt to the system. It was a disappointment, but they need to move on. You need to work, you can’t dwell on what happened.
“It depends on the players [January move for De Jong] he’s got there now and how they’re performing. They’re learning and making progress with how he wants them to play. I think this player, Frenkie, with the ability that he has, is always interesting.”
The Red Devils reportedly agreed a fee with Barcelona for De Jong, but the gaffer couldn’t convince him to agree personal terms and join his project at Old Trafford.
United ended up signing Casemiro from Real Madrid, adding a real world-class player to improve their defensive midfield position.
