Barcelona president reveals Frenkie de Jong's preference on summer transfer
FC Barcelona
Barcelona president reveals Frenkie de Jong's preference on summer transfer
Joan Laporta has spoken about Frenkie de Jong's future
Barcelona midfielder remains linked with transfer away
Man Utd, Bayern Munich, PSG and Chelsea all touted as potential destinations
By Jamie Spencer
1:00 PM GMT
Frenkie de Jong isn't looking to leave Barcelona
Frenkie de Jong isn't looking to leave Barcelona / Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/GettyImages
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted midfielder Frenkie de Jong has no interest in leaving the club ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.
De Jong has been an important player for Barca ever since his €75m transfer from Ajax in 2019. But his significant value has always made him a saleable asset amid the club's major financial problems and Barca tried to flog the Dutchman to Manchester United almost two years ago.
With the Catalans still not out of the woods financially, De Jong's future - and those of several others including Ronald Araujo and Pedri - has remained uncertain, although the player himself has always maintained he wants to stay and Laporta has confirmed that hasn't changed.
"He is delighted [at Barcelona]. The last thing he would want would be to leave Barcelona. He has told me more than once, that he is delighted here," the president told Mundo Deportivo.
"We have [room for a new contract]. We are delighted with him," Laporta added.
Frenkie de Jong
De Jong remains important to Barcelona / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages
"I'm not worried about anyone and if someone wants to leave, we can't go against a player's will. But I think everyone wants to stay and we want everyone we have to stay."
Manchester United retained their interest in De Jong, who came to prominence at Ajax under Erik ten Hag, last summer, while Bayern Munich also enquired at that time. He has been routinely linked with Paris Saint-Germain, with Chelsea rumours also resurfacing more recently.
De Jong's contract at Barcelona, signed in the autumn of 2020, runs until the end of the 2025/26 season. After a fee had been agreed between the clubs, what ultimately derailed a proposed transfer to Manchester United in the summer of 2022 following Ten Hag's arrival was a lack of clarity over who would pay the player an outstanding sum owed to him in deferred Barca wages.
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Manchester United
Man Utd considering nine managers to replace Erik ten Hag - report
Man Utd continue to weigh up future of manager Erik ten Hag
Dutchman has a contract until 2025 but not assured of anything
Zinedine Zidane, Graham Potter & Roberto De Zerbi considered
By 90min
2:30 PM GMT
Erik ten Hag isn't yet assured of his Man Utd future
Erik ten Hag isn't yet assured of his Man Utd future / Michael Regan/GettyImages
Manchester United are reported to have as many as nine names on a managerial shortlist as they weigh up the future of current boss Erik ten Hag beyond this season.
Ten Hag still has another season left on the three-year contract he signed in 2022 upon joining from Ajax, but mixed results and the potential for a fresh start following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe as co-owner and a new sporting direction has brought uncertainty to the Dutchman's position.
United have struggled to kick on since Ten Hag's promising first season in charge, losing 11 of their 28 Premier League fixtures in 2023/24 and trailing the top four by nine points – albeit with a game in hand on fourth place Aston Villa. They are at least expected to return to the FA Cup final for the second year in a row after being draw with second tier Coventry City in the semi-finals.
Despite the disappointments of the last few months, ESPN writes that Ten Hag is optimistic there is still time to sufficiently impress Ratcliffe and the new hierarchy, which includes INEOS director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford and soon Omar Berrada as incoming chief executive.
Zinedine Zidane is someone Man Utd are keeping tabs on
Zinedine Zidane is someone Man Utd are keeping tabs on / Franco Origlia/GettyImages
But with an audit of United's football operations ongoing, there are "no formal guarantees" of Ten Hag keeping his job beyond this season as Ratcliffe and co. assess all the options. The former Ajax boss is said to have been part of the summer transfer window planning, but Brailsford has continued to also monitor alternative candidates to take over next season in case there is to be a change.
Links with Gareth Southgate have been well publicised this month, with Graham Potter, Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank, Thomas Tuchel, Julen Lopetegui, Zinedine Zidane, Ruben Amorim and Julian Nagelsmann all now reported by ESPN to have been "discussed internally" on top of the England boss. Potter, Tuchel, Lopetegui and Zidane are all either currently or soon to be out of work.
Ten Hag's shorter-term future has at least been considered safe under the new regime.
United's women's team face similar managerial uncertainty, with incumbent boss Marc Skinner out of contract in just three months' time and the team failing to match last season's achievements after slipping well out of contention in the WSL title race and hunt for Champions League places.
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