A long-term Manchester United target revealed his anger at being pushed towards a move to Old Trafford
Frenkie de Jong has admitted he never genuinely entertained the prospect of joining Manchester United despite repeatedly being linked with the Premier League club.
The Barcelona midfielder has been at the Catalan giants since 2019 and has three La Liga titles to his name. Despite his pivotal role in midfield, the 29-year-old has regularly been touted for a departure from Spain, with United consistently cited as a probable destination for the Dutchman.
United’s then-manager Erik ten Hag had previously worked alongside De Jong at Ajax during the 2018/19 season and viewed him as the perfect midfield signing ahead of Casemiro’s arrival.
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The persistent speculation left De Jong frustrated with the media, prompting the footballer to cut off all communication with the press. He did, however, draw a line under the rumours by extending his deal with the Blaugrana until 2029 earlier this season.
Before heading to North America with the Netherlands for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the midfielder broke his media silence by speaking to SPORT, where he addressed his falling-out with journalists over the reports linking him to United.
When asked whether he felt the media was responsible for the public not knowing him on a more personal level, he replied: “A little, yes. That’s why I think I made a mistake by ceasing to speak to the press.
“There was a time when they pressured me to leave the club, and there came a point when I was very angry and didn’t want to talk anymore. But that’s what I was saying before: people only hear opinions or things through the press and newspapers, and they don’t listen to you.”
De Jong pointed to Barca’s severe financial troubles in 2023 as the source of doubt surrounding his future, revealing certain figures at the club were keen to offload him after receiving bids. He said: “Barca was in a bit of a difficult financial situation, and, well, there are always teams that call players to ask if they want to come or not.
“And I always said no. So there was no option. What happened that summer is that, even though I said no, some teams came to the club and offered money for me. And within Barca – not everyone, but some people – thought they were good offers and wanted to sell me.”
De Jong consistently expressed his wish to stay in Spain but acknowledged a possible exit did enter his thoughts. He added: “That summer I was very clear that I didn’t want to leave. But of course, something always crosses your mind when you’re under pressure or when there’s a situation like that.”
Nevertheless, he stressed that genuine contemplation of departing never materialised before committing the remainder of his peak years to the Spanish heavyweights. He continued: “You think, ‘Maybe I have to leave,’ or ‘Perhaps it would be better for me to go to another team’.
“Of course you think about it sometimes, but actually considering leaving, no.” De Jong is poised to feature in his second World Cup competition this month, with the Netherlands scheduled to take on Japan, Sweden and Tunisia in Group F.
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