A World Cup 2026 star admitted reports linking him with a move to Manchester United left him furious
Frenkie de Jong has disclosed he never genuinely entertained joining Manchester United despite being persistently linked with the Premier League heavyweights.
The Barcelona midfielder has remained at the club since 2019 and boasts three La Liga titles in his collection. Despite his crucial role in midfield, the 29-year-old has regularly been connected with a departure from Spain, with the Red Devils repeatedly mentioned as a probable destination for the Netherlands international.
United’s former boss Erik ten Hag had collaborated with De Jong at Ajax during the 2018/19 season and viewed him as the perfect midfield reinforcement before Casemiro’s arrival.
The endless speculation left De Jong incensed with journalists as the player opted to cease communicating with them. He did, nevertheless, silence the rumours after prolonging his deal with the Blaugrana until 2029 earlier this campaign.
Before departing for North America with the Netherlands for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the midfielder broke his media silence by speaking to SPORT as he addressed his dispute with the media.
When questioned whether he believes journalists are responsible for the public not knowing him on a more personal level, he responded: “A little, yes. That’s why I think I made a mistake by ceasing to speak to the press.
“There was a time when they pressured me to leave the club, and there came a point when I was very angry and didn’t want to talk anymore. But that’s what I was saying before: people only hear opinions or things through the press and newspapers, and they don’t listen to you.”
De Jong pointed to Barca’s catastrophic financial predicament in 2023 as the catalyst for doubts over his future, revealing certain figures at the club were keen to offload him following incoming bids.
He elaborated: “Barca was in a bit of a difficult financial situation, and, well, there are always teams that call players to ask if they want to come or not. And I always said no. So there was no option. What happened that summer is that, even though I said no, some teams came to the club and offered money for me.
“And within Barca – not everyone, but some people – thought they were good offers and wanted to sell me.” De Jong consistently expressed his wish to stay in Spain but acknowledged thoughts of a potential exit did enter his head.
He added: “That summer I was very clear that I didn’t want to leave. But of course, something always crosses your mind when you’re under pressure or when there’s a situation like that.” Nevertheless, he stressed that genuine contemplation of departing never materialised before pledging his remaining peak years to the Catalan powerhouse.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
He continued: “You think, ‘Maybe I have to leave,’ or ‘Perhaps it would be better for me to go to another team’. Of course you think about it sometimes, but actually considering leaving, no.”
De Jong is poised to participate in his second World Cup tournament this month, with the Netherlands drawn against Japan, Sweden and Tunisia in Group F.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.