Exclusive: Barcelona star was never an option for Man United this summer

The future of Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona always seems to be a topic of discussion in recent years but his ankle injury prevented any chance of the Dutch star leaving the Catalan club this summer. 

The midfielder has been part of Barcelona’s squad since joining from Ajax in 2019 with the previous board handing the 27-year-old a massive contract upon his arrival in Catalunya. De Jong is one of the highest earners at Barcelona, taking home €721,154-per-week, which is a massive burden for the La Liga club given their current financial situation.

This is one of the main factors in the La Liga club being open to moving the midfielder on but they have failed to do so across recent transfer windows.

Regarding this summer, Bayern Munich had De Jong on their list of targets but first contacts never developed into any real discussions over a transfer, reports Matteo Moretto.

The transfer journalist has also stated that the Dutch star’s ankle injury impacted his options throughout the window with Man United showing no real interest as Erik ten Hag pursued PSG’s Manuel Ugarte.

De Jong’s objective for the season is to perform at his best for Barcelona and his future will sort itself out throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong was not an option for Man United

Writing in his latest exclusive column for CaughtOffside’s The Daily Briefing, Moretto has provided an update on Frenkie de Jong’s situation at Barcelona and how the transfer window played out for the Dutch star.

The transfer journalist said: “At the beginning of the transfer market, it is true that Bayern Munich had Frenkie de Jong on their shortlist but the first contacts which did occur never progressed into a real negotiation between the two parties. It is also evident that the relapse of his ankle injury conditioned the rest of his summer in terms of any potential moves away from Barcelona too, but now the Dutchman’s goal is to play again and perform at his best for Barcelona.

“I think the Catalan club wants to try to renew his contract, which expires in 2026 and will try to lower his salary. We will see how the negotiations go for him. This summer, Manchester United were never a real option for de Jong, as they had set their sights on Manuel Ugarte.”

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