Barca Star Frenkie De Jong Explains Why He Snubbed Manchester United

Barcelona midfielder, Frenkie De Jong has explained why he snubbed Manchester United.

Infoexpert24 reports that the Dutch international was the subject of intense transfer speculation linking him to Manchester United in the summer, but the Barcelona star has revealed why he decided to stay put.

The midfield metronome was at the heart of a long-winded transfer saga that dominated the back pages for much of the summer. Barca was thought to be keen on ushering De Jong to the exit doors in order to ease their financial difficulties.

It was said that Man Utd agreed to a £63.5m deal to bring the Dutchman to Old Trafford, but a deal ultimately failed to materialize. Instead, Erik ten Hag bolstered his midfield with the acquisition of Casemiro from Real Madrid for around £60m.

Despite his decision to stick around at the Camp Nou, De Jong has found playing time under midfield immortal Xavi hard to come by. The 25-year-old has started just three games in La Liga and was benched as Barca deployed teenage duo Pedri and Gavi in the Champions League against Bayern Munich.

Now on international duty with the Netherlands for Oranje‘s 2-0 Nations League win over Poland on Thursday night and Sunday’s showdown with Belgium, De Jong has been speaking about his mindset during a hectic summer.

He told NOS: “I had already decided in May that I wanted to stay. So I was very calm myself. I now feel welcome at the club. Nothing has ever changed with my teammates.”

He also spoke about his lack of minutes: “I didn’t start against Bayern in the Champions League. You want to play important games. When I play less, I do notice it. Not really in terms of the technical aspect because you still know how to play football, but more so in the physical aspect.”

Barca Star Frenkie De Jong Explains Why He Snubbed Manchester United

Star Frenkie De Jong set for Barcelona contract talks in 2023

Frenkie de Jong will reportedly sit down for contract amendment talks with the Barcelona hierarchy in 2023.

The Dutch international was heavily linked with a possible move away from the Camp Nou before the start of the 2022/23 season as the club looked to balance its dire financial situation this summer.

Alongside player releases, and salary reductions, Barcelona wanted to offload certain squad stars to raise key transfer funds, and to register new signings at the club.

Club president Joan Laporta confirmed the club was working on a deal to reduce de Jong’s salary in order to retain him on his contract until 2026.

According to reports from Marca, de Jong and his representatives have agreed to the proposal, and a wage readjustment will be confirmed at the end of the 2022/23 season.