After nearly a year of back ands forth about Frenkie De Jong’s future at Barcelona, the club’s president Joan Laporta claimed he never wanted to sell the midfielder. De Jong says he’s happy in Barcelona and he never plans leaving after he was linked to Manchester United last summer.
WHAT IS HAPPENED? The Dutch midfielder was rumoured to be leaving the club last summer, with Manchester United reported to be one of the teams heavily linked to the player. But now, five months after De Jong seemed likely to exit amid the Blaugrana’s well-documented financial sufferings, Barca president Joan Laporta says he never wanted the Dutch player to leave.
WHAT HE SAID: “I have never wanted to sell Frenkie de Jong because he is one of the keystones we have, he is one of the great talents, young and called to be like he is already one of the team leaders,” Laporta told Barca TV.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Barcelona are still facing financial regulations, even after activating a number of so-called “levers” to give room for activities in the transfer market. President Laporta said that the club are unlikely to make any signings in January, despite their reported interest in Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko and other top talents.
