Former Manchester United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen believes Frenkie de Jong will help make United "much more dominant" in possession ahead of his expected arrival from Barcelona.
De Jong, as revealed by the Manchester Evening News on Wednesday, is closing in on a move to Old Trafford after United finally agreed a fee with Barcelona for his signature. It is understood that the Reds have reached an agreement worth €65million (£56.14m), but that fee will rise with add-ons.
He is now poised to become one of new manager Erik ten Hag's first signings of the window, along with fellow Dutchman Tyrell Malacia. De Jong was identified as Ten Hag's top target back in May, despite the expectatin that United would focus their hunt for a new midfielder on a defensive-minded option.
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The Barcelona ace is not renowned for sitting deep and being a tenacious tackler; he likes to get on the ball, dictate play and play progressive football. And for former United coach Meulensteen, who worked at Old Trafford across two different spells, De Jong will bring a sense of control to the Reds' midfield.
"In Erik's way of thinking it is a logical first purchase," Meulensteen told Voetbal International. "Frenkie is, of course, a great footballer and I would really like to see him at United.
"He is technically very strong. That should also be a lot better at United. If you just look at the statistics: that the opponent regularly has more possession would have been unthinkable with us (the United team Meulensteen coached). Frenkie can help them to be much more dominant."
However, Meulensteen has warned that De Jong might be forced to slightly tweak his style to adapt to the cut and thrust nature of the Premier League.
He continued: "In Spain, the ball doesn’t go through the air, everything goes over the ground. Just like in the Netherlands, but at a faster pace.
"The Premier League is a different story. In the Premier League you can't just play your own game every time, because opponents are also constantly strengthening themselves with very good players."
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