According to media publication SPORT, Frankie De Jong has informed Barcelona and Manchester United that he does not want to leave the Catalan club.
Backing up his public statements from earlier in the month, Frankie De Jong has informed Barcelona and Manchester United that he intends to stay with Barcelona. De Jong was an integral part of new Barca manager Xavi's vision last season, with the Spaniard praising De Jong in a press conference in May. In recent interviews, De Jong has called Barcelona his dream club and mentioned his desire to stay at the club. A move without the player's approval is impossible, and it appears as though De Jong will remain at Barcelona if recent reports from SPORT are to be believed.
"If it were up to me, He would continue here for many more years. He is essential and can mark an era here. He has to score and assist, and he has to be the protagonist. He's an important player for me, and he started every game except for a few due to rotations. But, it depends on the economic situation. Frenkie could be one of the club legends for me," said Xavi.
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When asked about a potential move and links to Manchester United earlier this month, De Jong said, "You're always flattered when teams show interest in you as a player. But, I am at the biggest club in the world at the moment, and I feel fine there, so no news."
In a story, SPORT said about De Jong's future: "De Jong is determined to stay in the Blaugrana team. He has no intention of leaving, and he has transmitted this to the two clubs. The situation has become tense. As much as [United] press him, the footballer wants to succeed at Barcelona."
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"In recent weeks, Frenkie has come to doubt even his agent, Ali Dursun, because of his insistence on placing him at United. He does not like that everyone is 'pushing' him to leave [Barça], which he described as 'the club of my dreams since I was little' at the end of May," SPORT's report added.
"We will see if De Jong remains firm or, on the contrary, ends up succumbing to pressure. Barça needs this to be the case since several of the signings they have in mind depend on the Dutchman's transfer. In addition, the former Ajax player's salary skyrockets from his fourth year. [Barcelona], in full salary restructuring, cannot afford this expense if they want to reduce their salary mass," concluded SPORT.
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