Frenkie de Jong has confirmed that he was never interested in joining either Manchester United or Chelsea in the summer transfer window despite finding serious interest from them. The Dutch midfielder opted to stay at Barcelona, operating in a rotational role in midfield.
Frenkie de Jong Confirms Rejecting Premier League Approach
Frenkie de Jong tells ZiggoSport: "Chelsea and Man Utd bids? I was calm. I decided in May I wanted to stay. My opinion never changed" 🚨🇳🇱 #FCB
"I remained calm, then you know the pressure will start coming from all sides. I wanted to stay at Barça so it never made me confused". pic.twitter.com/MSphdAtY1x
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 16, 2022
De Jong ‘Remained Calm’ Amid Manchester United’s Major Attempts to Sign Him
The 25-year-old was reportedly a priority transfer target for Erik ten Hag’s side in the summer, as he believed De Jong could transform the Red Devils. However, United couldn’t get a deal done, with the Dutch international keen on remaining at the Camp Nou, and add to his 151 appearances for the Catalan giants.
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They even had a reported offer of £63 million agreed with the La Liga side for the transfer of the midfielder but failed to convince the player himself. Speaking about what happened in the summer window, De Jong told Dutch outlet Ziggo Sport: “Chelsea and Man Utd bids? I was calm. I decided in May I wanted to stay. My opinion never changed.
“I remained calm, then you know the pressure will start coming from all sides. I wanted to stay at Barça so it never made me confused.”
Chelsea Also Saw Advances to Sign De Jong Denied
After seeing the Red Devils struggle in convincing the Dutchman to join them, Todd Boehly also tried his best to bring him to Stamford Bridge and improve Chelsea’s midfield. The Blues reportedly made a bid of £59 million plus Marcos Alonso – but the move failed to materialise because the 25-year-old had no ambition in moving to Stamford Bridge.
Frenkie de Jong played his 150th match for Barcelona yesterday. pic.twitter.com/yMNXl11k91
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) October 13, 2022
The possible reason behind the Dutchman refusing to leave Barcelona was that he is still due a lot of money in unpaid wages for a pay cut he took during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The La Liga giants accepted his reason to stay, but the 25-year-old is no longer a regular starter for Xavi Hernandez’s side, only starting five games so far this season.
