Dutch footballer, Frenkie de Jong [/b]has expressed his desire to spend his entire football career at Barcelona.
The Netherlands international faced strong rumors of leaving Barcelona during the last summer transfer window, with interest from Manchester United being prominent.
Despite financial issues prompting Barcelona to consider his sale, speculations still circulate about his future, with Manchester United reportedly keeping an eye on developments at Camp Nou.
In an interview with Spanish publication El Periodico, the 26-year-old expressed his unwavering affection for Barcelona and his aspiration to remain at the club indefinitely.
He shared:
“Economically, Barca are not at their best. And they could get a lot of money for me. Maybe the club thought it was good to sell me and have that money. But I didn’t want to leave. I had always been clear about it. I didn’t want to. That’s why I was very calm. I had decided.
“I always wanted to be at Barca. In these first years [since joining from Ajax] we had not won La Liga, nor had we come far in the Champions League. We had only won one Copa del Rey.
“To succeed at Barca I had a lot left [to achieve]. And I also saw that the team was improving that summer. Players of a high level arrived, and that’s why I wanted to keep going.
“It’s my dream club and I want to be here all my life. I didn’t want to leave suddenly.”
De Jong made the move to Barcelona from Ajax in the summer of 2019, and he has featured in 183 matches for the Catalan side, scoring 15 goals and providing 21 assists.
The midfielder played a pivotal role for Xavi’s side in the previous season, participating in 43 matches across all competitions, scoring twice, and contributing four assists.
Barcelona will kick off their 2023-24 La Liga campaign against Getafe on Sunday night, and Xavi has described the match as “very complicated.”