Frenkie de Jong has ruled out Manchester United’s transfer and the Dutch midfielder only focuses on Barcelona, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The 25 year old Barcelona player was featured in an interview program on Thursday evening, 9th of March, 2023, and was asked if he’ll leave Barcelona this summer. Recall that the Red Devils had strong interest in him since last summer when Barca reportedly approved €80 million offer for him from the Premier League club.
Man United made a concerted effort to sign the Dutch midfielder over the summer of 2022, but they were ultimately unsuccessful. Instead, he opted to remain in Catalonia and has since emerged as a key player for Barca’s dominant offense at the Nou Camp.
Frenkie de Jong decided to stay at the Catalan club with stories declaring that Man United’s lack of UEFA Champions League football and an intention to succeed under Xavi Hernandez were his reasons for turning down the offer.
When he was asked about media reports surrounding his future and his transfer decision De Jong said “I am very calm here, very happy at Barcelona and I want to stay here for more years”.
His current deal with the club is set to expire in the summer of 2026, but with Barca still having financial difficulties, he may be traded after the current campaign ends.
However, it now seems that De Jong has put an end to rumors that he is ready to move on from the current La Liga leaders.
A pair of goals and an assist from De Jong have propelled Barcelona to the top of La Liga. De Jong is desperate to win La Liga for the first time since moving to the club from Ajax, and the team as a whole has been waiting four years for their first title.
Although he began the season on the bench, De Jong has worked his way back into Xavi’s starting lineup and become an integral part of Barcelona’s success so far this season.
However, Sergio Busquets‘ contract extinction could mean a shakeup in the Barcelona midfield this summer as the Spain international is set to leave the club.
Valencia loanee Nico Gonzalez is also expected back at Barcelona, and the Catalan club has been linked to several midfielders, most recently the promising young Uruguayan Fabricio Diaz.
Erik ten Hag, Man United’s manager, is looking to add depth to the midfield. De Jong is a big fan of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, and he thinks the Dutchman would be a great fit with those two.
United and Barca agreed on a transfer fee of £56.2m last summer, but the deal didn’t fall through because the player, then 25 years old, wanted to stay at Camp Nou. De Jong’s salary at the Catalan giants is the highest of any player.
This season, De Jong’s tensions with the club’s board have grown. He has even accused the board of leaking his contract information last summer. Barca’s latest attempt to get the midfielder to take a pay cut was met with a no from the player.
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