Frenkie de Jong has insisted that his long-term future is at FC Barcelona, despite widespread speculation over his transfer since joining the club.
In recent years, De Jong has been the subject of constant transfer speculation, with Manchester United being the club most closely linked with him. Last summer, the Dutch midfielder looked close to leaving Camp Nou for Old Trafford and chairman Joan Laporta says the club had rejected a €100m offer for him this year. However, De Jong reiterated his desire to stay at Barca.
“I always wanted to be at Barca”, De Jong told El Periodico. “During those early years, we hadn’t won La Liga, nor been far in the Champions League. We had only won one Copa del Rey. To succeed at Barça, I had a lot to do. And I also saw that the team was improving that summer. Top players arrived and that’s why I wanted to continue. It’s the club of my dreams and I want to stay there all my life. I didn’t want to leave suddenly.”
Barcelona’s need to raise funds has been a major driver of speculation suggesting De Jong will be sold last summer.
About this situation, the player said: “Economically, Barça is not in its best period. And they could get a lot of money for me. Maybe the club thought it was good to sell me and get that money. But I didn’t want to leave. It has always been clear to me. I didn’t want to leave. That’s why I stayed very calm. I had made my decision.
