Manchester United ‘eye’ yet another Ajax star as Barcelona president responds to de Jong links

Manchester United are just one win away from securing Europa League football for next season.

Ralf Rangnick’s men thought they might lose control of sixth spot with no game for the best part of two weeks, but they have managed to remain in pole position.

West Ham’s draw with Manchester City means United only need to match the Hammers’ result on the final day to wrap up Europa League qualification.

Preparations will already be at full speed for Sunday’s clash with Crystal Palace, but in the meantime, we have rounded up all the latest transfer news and rumours.

Latest Ajax link

Another Ajax star is said to be a target of United’s ahead of this summer.

Erik tan Hag is being backed to do some serious shopping at his former club, and Jurrien Timber was the latest to be linked.

That’s until today, with fresh reports from The Telegraph that ten Hag would prefer to sign another Ajax star in Lisandro Martinez, who has been key for the Dutch side both domestically and in Europe.

Matic update

Nemanja Matic is on his way out of Old Trafford, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

The midfielder rejected an extra year to move on to pastures new, but we don’t know where he will end up next.

One place we know he won’t be going is Lisbon, or at least not the red half, with Correio da Manhã reporting that Benfica boss Roger Schmidt has rejected the chance to bring Matic back to his former club this summer.

De Jong latest

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has provided an update on Frenkie de Jong, saying the decision on whether to sell the midfielder this summer will belong to Xavi Hernandez and director Mateu Alemany.

“We will do what is best for the club. If the economic levers that we want to activate come off, no player will leave for economic reasons,” he told Sport.

“I insist. Let the sports management work. There are players who are quoted to have received offers. In the sports area, Xavi and Mateu Alemany rule and he ends up deciding the club’s sports management.

“I will follow what the professionals of the club say.”