Frenkie de Jong admits Barcelona transfer is honest – ‘we will leave’

Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong has revealed what it would take for him to leave the club – two and a half years after snubbing Manchester United.

De Jong, 27, turned the Red Devils down cold in the summer of 2022, with then manager Erik ten Hag and director of football John Murtough looking to sign him. United agreed a £56 million fee with Barca and went on a summer spell offensively trying to convince the Netherlands international, but he did not want to leave the Camp Nou.

Since then, De Jong has won one La Liga title and the Spanish Super Cup as well as becoming one of Barcelona’s vice-captains. The midfielder was a regular under former boss Xavi but had to wait until October to make his debut this season due to an ankle injury which forced him to miss Euro 2024 and the honeymoon period the new manager Hansi Flick.

On his return, De Jong has failed to find a place as Flick’s favorite, last starting a game on November 10. That has led to familiar speculation in the January transfer window that cash-strapped Barca could ready, looking to sell it again.

The 27-year-old has now addressed talk of his future and has denied claims that he only wants to end his career in Cataluya for off-field reasons. Speaking to Dutch outlet Voetbal International, De Jong explained: “People think I want to stay in Barcelona forever because life outside football is so good here, and that’s good, but what happens on the pitch is always more important.

“If I felt I couldn’t contribute enough, or if the team wasn’t competitive, I would leave.”

The former Ajax star, who played under Ten Hag for the Dutch giants, added: “When I signed for Barcelona, ​​I didn’t imagine winning just La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup after four years. I was expecting at least double, so that disappoints me.

De Jong has just 18 months left on his current deal, so Barcelona will need to make a decision on his future in 2025. Flick insists he values ​​the Dutchman, saying last month: “For me, Frenkie is a very important player because of the way he behaves in training and in games.”

He will be hoping to get his chance in the starting line-up when Barca travel to face fourth-tier side UD Barbastro in the Copa del Rey on Saturday. Barcelona then head to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup, playing Athletic Bilbao in their semi-final. They return to La Liga action away to Getafe on Saturday, January 18.