Ten Hag has made clear that De Jong is central to his plans at United, as he seeks possession and control in the frenzy of the Premier League.

In the Dutch style, the manager wants a holding midfield player who dominates the game through his ability on the ball, not his destructive qualities off it, even if that means assigning a minder to play alongside him in the middle of the park.

De Jong’s strengths are his ability to retain possession in tight areas and to move his team up the pitch through unerringly accurate passing and dynamic dribbles and carries.

The boss has clearly not given up the pursuit.

‘We are looking for a player who can play in the holding [deep-lying] midfield position,’ Ten Hag told journalists on the club’s tour of Australia. ‘There are not many in that position capable of the level we demand.’

So, if not De Jong, then who? What alternatives do United have if the Dutch maestro refuses to re-join Ten Hag in Manchester.

Fabian Ruiz

The Napoli midfielder possesses exactly the attributes Ten Hag is looking for in De Jong.

One of the qualities that makes De Jong so attractive is his ‘press resistance’. He rarely gives the ball away, and Ruiz, 26, who has 15 caps for Spain, is very similar.

In 32 appearances in Serie A last season, scoring seven goals and assisting four, Ruiz made even more passes under pressure than De Jong achieved for Barcelona. He was more likely to keep possession in a tackle and was less prone to mis-control. Both players posted a pass competition rate of around 90 per cent.