It was, without a doubt, one of the most annoyingly tedious summer transfer sagas of all-time. FC Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong was bound for Manchester United, so they said. A deal was reached between the two clubs for the Dutchman’s transfer fee amount, so they claimed. Twice actually.
But it never materialized. Then De Jong was bound for Chelsea instead, the media reported. Until that didn’t happen either. Transfer window deadline day has now come and gone, with De Jong staying put, and actually never even wanting to leave in the first place.
That’s according to his own words, with the Barca playmaker finally discussing this topic on Thursday.
“Of course it’s calmer now than during the transfer window, but I have to say that, for me, it was always clear what I wanted,” he said today at a media opportunity ahead of the UEFA Nations League clash between his Netherlands side and Poland.
“That’s why I was also able to stay calm during that period.”
As is well documented, Barcelona have had a lot of financial issues lately, and they have done some questionable things, here and there in order to try and settle those issues. De Jong is one of the highest earners on their roster, and as such saw himself the victim of some really misguided abuse, at the hands of Catalan Club supporters.
The club was openly looking to get out of their deal with De Jong, and that made any potential transfer, anywhere, all the more complicated.
It was reported that De Jong was still seeking about 17 million Euro in back pay. Things then got really ugly in July, when the club sent his agent a letter claiming there were contract irregularities in the renewal deal that the player signed in 2020.
It was all about getting De Jong to either take a pay cut, or accept a transfer to another club. United seemed like the perfect destination because
a. they have really deep pockets, to cover his salary, and
b. De Jong and current United manager Erik ten Hag worked very well together, previously at Ajax.
Plus he was the club’s top transfer target, from the very start of the window, and they continued pursuing him deep into August.
De Jong, through no wrongdoing or fault of his own, was now made a villain in the eyes of many of the club’s supporters.
De Jong discussed what he could of the situation with the media, although he really can’t say all that much, due to the legal issues involved.
“There were a lot of rumors and a lot happened,” De Jong said.
“I can’t say in detail what happened. Look, sometimes the club has different ideas than me. Sometimes those ideas collide with each other. But, in principle, it was always fine.
“Of course, it was different from other transfer periods for me. But like I said: I stayed calm because I knew what I wanted early on. I wanted to stay at Barcelona and my opinion didn’t change. That’s why I stayed calm because I knew what I wanted.”
So there you have it- De Jong always wanted to stay in Catalonia, even when the relationship with the club had some sour moments. His current deal will keep him at the club until 2026, with most of his salary deferred, or back loaded towards the end of the deal.
(There is nothing like an international break to do stories on contract stipulations, payment structures and board room deals! Isn’t it nice to have real matches to discuss, and not transfer deal haggling?)
Given that he’ll make more money at Barca down the line than he has so far, it’s no wonder he wants to stay put! LOL!
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.