Man Utd’s De Jong transfer hopes dashed by Xavi
Robin Bairner
- 30 Apr 2022 20:21 BST
- 3 min read
Frenkie de Jong is an important member of the Barcelona squad, head coach Xavi has stated as rumours of a potential transfer to Manchester United continue.
Erik ten Hag’s imminent arrival at Old Trafford has led to much speculation that Ajax players past and present could follow the Dutchman to the club.
Antony is a player being closely linked with making a transfer while the prospects of Donny van de Beek making a greater impression at Man Utd are thought to be greatly enhanced by Ten Hag.
And, of course, there is De Jong, a player who has been a regular at Barcelona without necessarily hitting the heights expected of him.
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De Jong ‘the future’ of Barcelona
While the future of the 24-year-old continues to be a source of transfer rumours, Xavi has sought to shut these down as quickly as possible.
"He has to be a player that makes the difference and he does," the head coach told the media ahead of a meeting with Mallorca on Sunday.
“There aren't many players with his quality in the world. He's the present and the future at Barcelona. He is a very important player for me. He's capable, strong, he gets into the box... He has had some excellent games, but he has to be consistent.”
The former Ajax midfielder, though, reacted with anger after being taken off during last weekend’s shock loss to Rayo Vallecano, but Xavi insists it has been put behind them.
“We had a face-to-face chat this week and it went well,” Xavi said. “Obviously being taken off is frustrating for him, but I have to look out for the team.”
Despite a challenging campaign, reports also suggest that De Jong wants to stay at Barcelona, which make a transfer to Manchester United this summer appear unlikely.
