Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has admitted his delight at finally being able to move on from years of transfer uncertainty by signing a new contract.
Since the summer of 2022, De Jong has been relentlessly linked with an exit from Barcelona and, more specifically, a move to Manchester United, with countless reports claiming the Blaugrana were desperate to sell and move on from his high wages.
Despite the speculation, De Jong stood firm and was recently rewarded for both his loyalty and his form by a new contract, at which point he took the opportunity to blast those spreading false information about his earnings.
Sitting down with , De Jong opened up on the relentless speculation and his belief that it was largely fuelled by internal club politics.
“I’ve always been clear that I wanted to stay at Barcelona,” he explained. “I’ve always been happy with the team, with playing here.
“There was a time when there was more pressure, just as there was another time when there were people at the club who wanted to sell me to make money. I think it was in the summer of 2023 or 2022, I can’t remember exactly.
“At one point, I could understand them. The club was going through a difficult financial period, and I was a player on the market. But I was clear: I wanted to stay at Barcelona. And I was confident that, if everything was going well, I would play. It’s always been that way. In the end, when you have a contract, if you decide you want to stay, you stay. That's why I wasn’t afraid.”
