14 June 2023 , 09:17
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Frenkie de Jong has spoken out on the summer transfer window, insisting his future plans are 'clear' amid continued reports linking him with a move to Man United
The Barcelona midfielder was consistently touted for a move to the Premier League last summer, amid ongoing financial difficulties. at the Nou Camp. Both Chelsea and Man United were linked to the Dutchman, with United thought to be leading the way following the appointment of De Jong's former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag as manager.
However, he stayed at the club, becoming an important member of Xavi's La Liga winning team. Ahead of the summer transfer window, he has now given a clear indication of where his future plans lie, with the 26-year-old declaring his desire to remain with the Catalan giants.
'That has been clear to me, also last summer when things were restless for a while,' he told Voetbal International when asked if he saw his future at Barcelona. "I always knew that I wanted to stay at Barcelona,"
He continued, hinting at discomfort amid the relentless reports of his departure, with Barca thought have made attempts to offload him despite his desire to stay. He continued: "That's why it wasn't so stressful for me last summer."
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"Also, I had just signed a contract extension [in 2020] so I always felt that I was in control and able to decide for myself." He added. "That's why I didn't bother [worrying about it]. I feel good at Barcelona and assume that I will still be playing here next season."
Barcelona remain in a difficult financial position, with reports that they need to make £178 million worth of sales before any players can be signed, due to FFP rules. As one of the club's most valuable assets, this leaves De Jong in an uncertain position, despite his importance to the team under Xavi.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta embarked on a huge spending spree last summer, with Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha among those who arrived. This put pressure on those already at the club, with ' financial levers' having been pulled, meaning that the club would have to offload talent.
That led to increased speculation over De Jong's future, with the player admitting last month that he had gone through a difficult situation. He said: "My relationship with the president is good. In reality, it has never been bad," De Jong insisted. "Of course, there was this situation last summer, but my relationship with him is good."
Barcelona have since been hit with a £705,000 fine for breaches of Financial Fair Play, with their failure to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League impacting revenue. Their spending is likely to be heavily reduced as a result this summer, with La Liga clubs continuing to lose ground to Premier League rivals in the transfer market.