Frenkie de Jong admits “it’s a shame” that Barcelona were unable to put a deal in place that would have seen him reunited with Lionel Messi.
When it became clear that he wouldn’t be renewing his contract at Paris Saint-Germain, the freshly crowned La Liga champions were heavily connected with a ‘prodigal son’.
No agreement was achieved after discussions between Messi’s representatives and the Barca board; as a result, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner will be saying goodbye to European football and joining MLS team Inter Miami.
Reflecting on Barca’s inability to bring Messi back to Catalunya, Dutch midfielder De Jong – who spent two years working alongside the Argentine between 2019 and 2021 – told De Telegraaf that “I think every team would like to have Lionel there, because he makes a difference anytime, anywhere.
“It’s a shame he didn’t come to Barcelona. I would have liked him there, would have found his return top-notch. We’ll now see who joins and who leaves”.
Deals for marquee additions have been tough for Barca to secure due to financial difficulties; sales are anticipated to be authorised this summer in an effort to raise money.
Frenkie de Jong is one of those who has sparked a lot of rumours in recent transfer windows because he was strongly associated with Manchester United, but the 26-year-old midfielder is planning to stay put.
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He added on his own future: “I feel good at Barcelona. If all goes well I will stay there. You can’t say anything 100% but I guess next season I will play for Barcelona.”
