Barcelona 'no longer willing to sell Manchester United-linked Frenkie de Jong'

The Netherlands international was heavily linked with a move away from Camp Nou last summer, with Manchester United seemingly working to bring him to Old Trafford.

De Jong's substantial wage packet, in addition to his ability to raise a high transfer fee, is believed to have led to Barcelona making the decision to sell him to ease their financial problems.

However, according to Sport, the Catalan outfit are no longer looking to shift the Dutchman, as they view him as a key part of their plans moving forward.

The report claims that Barcelona are preparing for the departure of Sergio Busquets next year and would not be willing to lose both the Spaniard and De Jong in the same window.

De Jong initially struggled for starts in the opening weeks of the 2022-23 campaign, but he has been an important player for Barcelona of late.

The midfielder has played the full 90 minutes in five of his side's last six La Liga matches, while he has contributed two goals and one assist in 17 appearances in all competitions this term.

De Jong has now represented the club on 157 occasions since arriving from Ajax in July 2019, contributing 15 goals and 19 assists in the process.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently said that he "never wanted to sell" De Jong over the summer despite the widespread speculation surrounding his future.

"I have never wanted to sell Frenkie de Jong because he is one of the mainstays we have, he is one of the great talents, young and called to be like he is already one of the team leaders," Laporta told BarcaTV.

Barcelona sporting director Jordi Cruyff also recently hinted that De Jong was not for sale.

"Today this is not being talked about. In football there are moments and sometimes they are not defined solely by football issues," Cruyff told Sport.

"The fair play situation. Not everyone understands what it is, there are changes every week, but there are situations and decisions that are not just football things. But time has passed and he has an important role.

"The reality is that Frenkie has stayed, he is a loved player, people expect a lot from him because he is very talented and a slightly different player. There was the possibility because good players are always wanted by good teams, it works like that. The reality is that he is here and he is playing an important role.

"There are market moments and it's no longer with Frenkie, but with everyone, there is a fair play rule and the consequences of not complying with it are enormous and there are calculations that have nothing to do with what happens on the pitch."

Bayern Munich and Chelsea were also among the clubs to be linked with the midfielder over the summer.