The truth behind Man Utd and Chelsea’s failed De Jong transfer bids

Robin Bairner

• 3 Dec 2022 03:46 CST
• 3 min read

The transfer saga of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong the summer’s lengthiest rumour, with Manchester United and Chelsea both failing to land the Netherlands midfielder.

From the moment that De Jong’s former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag was appointed to the Old Trafford dugout, Man Utd were hotly linked with a move for the 25-year-old - and the speculation did not diminish until the transfer window shut.

Chelsea were also linked with the midfielder, and for a brief period it seemed that they may even beat the Red Devils to his signature.

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Neither Premier League giant was successful in landing the player, who instead stayed at cash-strapped Barcelona. But why did the move fail?

The Athletic has detailed the extensive transfer narrative, but it boils down to two main reasons.

Primarily, De Jong did not want to leave Barcelona and head coach Xavi did not want him to depart either.

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Even though president Joan Laporta accepted an €85 million offer for the player valued at €59m by FootballTransfers, he publicly indicated a desire to keep the Dutch star. The board, though, were juggling financial problems and terms of De Jong’s contract were leaked to the media, angering the player.

While De Jong felt frustrated with the club’s hierarchy, he elected to remain on a point of principle. Indeed, it appears he feels that the club were acting in a two-faced manner towards him, splurging big money in the transfer market while trying to arm wrestle him into either leaving or taking a sizeable pay cut.

Ultimately, Barcelona saw that the player was not going to back down and had to relent on their pressure, leaving both Man Utd and Chelsea disappointed that the player was not on the market.

Frenkie de Jong: The future

The future, meanwhile, seems to point to De Jong staying at Camp Nou.

His performances this season have been a highlight for Barcelona in a mixed start to the campaign that sees them competing at the top of La Liga but knocked into the Europa League, causing the prospect of more financial woes.

De Jong, meanwhile, has a contract with the club that runs until 2026, giving him personal security in his future, even if his sizeable wage is liable to be a headache for Barcelona in the years to come.

Links to Man Utd and Chelsea are likely to persist, but the player appears happy just where he is.