Erik ten Hag has probably stopped dreaming about linking up with Frenkie de Jong at Manchester United, but he may as well if the Dutch midfielder signs a lifetime contract at Camp Nou.
The Netherlands midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent years, especially since Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford.
Two summers ago, United spent over 100 days chasing De Jong in the transfer market but the player refused to leave Barcelona. Now, it has been reported that Barcelona would like to extend his contract.
According to Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona will purpose to renew his deal practically for life. This potential new deal will require an agreement from De Jong as he is set to earn less money in the next two seasons.
There’s always a catch with Barcelona, but he’s understood to be happy playing a vital role under Xavi.
Speaking to El Periodico ahead of the new season, De Jong said: “I always wanted to be at Barca. In these first years we had not won the League, nor gone far in the Champions League. We had only won one Copa del Rey. To succeed at Barca I had a lot left.
“And 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.”
De Jong added: “The situation is what it is. Economically, Barca is not at its best moment. And they could get a lot of money for me. Maybe the club thought it was good to sell me and have that money. But I didn’t want to leave. It was always clear to me. I did not want to. That’s why I was very calm. I had decided.”
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