Frenkie de Jong has dismissed fresh speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United, insisting he is “very happy” at Barcelona and wants to stay at the Nou Camp for “many years”. Last summer, United submitted multiple offers for the Netherlands international, but De Jong refused to leave, forcing United to look elsewhere for midfield reinforcements. While United signed Casemiro and Christian Eriksen last summer, they remain interested in a deal for De Jong, who joined Barca from Ajax in 2019. However, De Jong’s comments suggest that United may need to end their pursuit of the midfielder.
Speaking before the first leg of the Europa League tie between Barcelona and United last month, Old Trafford legend Paul Scholes urged his former club to revive their interest in De Jong. However, former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves disagreed with Scholes, saying that De Jong is better suited to playing in a more advanced role than as a holding midfielder.
Despite United’s interest, De Jong appears to be settled at Barcelona and is not looking to leave any time soon. The midfielder was part of the Barcelona side that were knocked out of the Europa League by United last month. United will now turn their attention to Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Southampton, as they look to bounce back from their 7-0 thrashing by Liverpool in their last league outing.