Xavi reveals why he had 'no doubt' Frenkie de Jong wouldn't join Man Utd last summer
Barcelona coach Xavi has revealed he had ‘no doubt’ that Frenkie de Jong would stay last summer after his conversations with the player, despite strong interest from Manchester United.
With Barça beset by financial issues, United were able to agree a fee for De Jong starting at a guaranteed €75m and rising to €85m with add-ons.
However, there always remained problems regarding €17m in deferred wages still owed to the player by his Catalan employers. De Jong indicated a willingness at the time to reunite with Erik ten Hag in Manchester after previously working together at Ajax, but De Jong's preference was to stay put and the deal was ultimately never agreed, while United instead secured a £60m deal for Casemiro.
As the clubs prepared to meet in the first leg of a Europa League knockout playoff this week, Xavi has now insisted it was never De Jong’s intention to leave Camp Nou.
“He was very clear with me. He wanted to stay with us and there was no doubt,” the boss explained.
“He is our player and I am very happy and satisfied with his performance and leadership. He is in a great moment, like the whole team. I think he is having a good time well on the field, which is the most important thing.”
Speaking at his own press conference, Ten Hag hinted at ongoing interest in De Jong: "Frenkie is an incredible player and for every club in the whole world he will strengthen the squad because he has a unique quality. If you can get him in the squad your team will be stronger."
Following the summer transfer saga, De Jong initially struggled to command a place in the Barcelona team this season. The Dutchman started only one of the first four La Liga games of the new campaign, but he has since re-established himself as a key player under Xavi.
On this edition of The Promised Land, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders & Rob Blanchette look ahead to Barcelona vs Man Utd in the Europa League, Casemiro's return, the race to buy the club & more. If you can't see this embed, clickhereto listen to the podcast!
De Jong himself lifted the lid on his relationship with Xavi in November, suggesting he was aware it was those further up the Barcelona hierarchy who wanted to sell him for the cash injection.
“I never got the feeling that Xavi was against me,” the 25-year-old said.
“To the media, he said that he was happy with me but that there’s also the financial part of the club. I really don’t put the blame on Xavi.”
