Frenkie de Jong has revealed that Barcelona tried to put pressure on him to leave in the summer amid interest from Manchester United.
In an interview with Ziggo Sport, as relayed by 90min, Frenkie de Jong has admitted that Barcelona pressured him to leave in the summer transfer window. Manchester United wanted to sign the Dutch midfielder but could not secure his services.
Frenkie de Jong is one of the bests creative midfielders in the game and has made impressive progress since joining Barcelona from Ajax. But while he has been one of the most consistent performers for the Blaugrana in the last three years, he has lost his place as a regular this season.
Gavi has usurped de Jong in the first two months of the 2022/23 season. And the Dutch midfielder is reportedly frustrated with his situation at Spotify Camp Nou. The 25-year-old has now revealed in an interview with Ziggo Sport (h/t 90min) that Barcelona pushed him to leave in the summer transfer window.
“I was calm. I decided in May that I wanted to stay. My opinion never changed during the whole period. I remained calm. But then, you know, the pressure started coming. From the newspapers, from the president…from everywhere, in fact. But I wanted to stay at Barcelona, so it never bothered me.”
The 25-year-old also spoke about his frustrating situation at Camp Nou this season. Frenkie de Jong added, “I knew [Xavi] would give me fewer minutes at the beginning of the season. I want to be a starter again.”
Manchester United wanted to sign de Jong in the summer transfer window. But de Jong was steadfast in his belief that he did not want to leave Barcelona. However, the pressure from the club president himself points towards poor treatment, and it is remarkable that he remains eager to succeed for Barcelona.
The Dutch midfielder remains a target for Manchester United, with other clubs also joining the race to sign him. Meanwhile, recent reports have also claimed that de Jong might consider leaving Barcelona if he remains a rotation option. It will be interesting to see if his situation improves anytime soon after a few tumultuous months.
