De Jong explains why he stayed at Barcelona despite Man Utd interest

The Dutch star stayed at Barcelona despite being United’s No.1 target last summer.

Barcelona’s squad improvement convinced Frenkie de Jong to stay at the club before the 2022-23 season.

De Jong was heavily linked with a move away from Camp Nou last summer, with Manchester United being his main suitors. Erik ten Hag was keen to make his former player a key part of United’s midfield line. But De Jong repeatedly expressed his desire to stay at Barca.

“I always wanted to be at Barca,” De Jong told El Periodico. “In these first years we had not won La Liga, nor gone far in the Champions League. We had only won one Copa del Rey. To succeed at Barca I had a lot left.”

De Jong went on to make 43 appearances for Barcelona as they won the La Liga trophy last season. The arrivals of the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde played a key role in the club’s domestic success.

The Dutchman added: “I also saw that the team was improving that summer. High level players arrived and that’s why I wanted to continue. It is the club of my dreams and I want to be here all my life. I didn’t want to leave suddenly.”