Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, has claimed the club tried and failed to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona in 2022.
Ten Hag and De Jong worked together for two years at Ajax, where they won the Eredivisie title and reached the Champions League semi-finals.
United initially tried to sign the Netherlands midfielder before his big-money move to Barca in 2019.
The Red Devils also tried again after Ten Hag arrived at the club, but a move never materialised.
“It would have been Frenkie de Jong and Casemiro [in midfield]. They would really be connected with each other.
“They would be really complementary to each other. That’s a typical player, if you want to play the Ajax style, you need that type of player,” Ten Hag told Gary Neville in an interview with Sky Sports.