Barcelona superstar Frenkie de Jong is coming back from a long-term injury, having returned to the squad against Real Betis.
The Dutchman is yet to play his first minutes of the campaign and could be in line for a cameo against PSG at the Parc des Princes.
De Jong’s future at Barça has not always been clear, with the club most famously trying to sell him to Manchester United in the summer of 2022.
Now, former Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag has revealed the extent of the club’s efforts to sign the Dutchman from the Catalan club.
In an interview with The Athletic, the former Ajax manager explained that he personally organised meetings with De Jong and senior Manchester United officials.
Ten Hag reveals his efforts to sign De Jong
De Jong emerged as Manchester United’s priority midfield target shortly after Ten Hag arrived at the club, with the duo having worked together previously at Ajax.
The Dutchman believed that the Barça captain could become the foundation of his midfield, offering technical quality and control.
Frenkie de Jong has performed at an exceedingly high level for Barca since Hansi Flick arrived. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
“He could have been very important in building the team, not just that year, but also for the future. But we couldn’t make it happen,” Ten Hag admitted.
The former United manager also explained that he had taken an active role in the negotiations.
“I did everything I could. I organised meetings with him in which Richard and John also participated to convince him to come,” he said, referring to former United executives Richard Arnold and John Murtough.
Despite those efforts, which even saw Manchester United reach an agreement with Barça on a transfer fee, De Jong chose to remain at the Catalan club.
De Jong’s decision underlines his commitment to Barcelona
De Jong has always been clear about his desire to remain and succeed at Barcelona, and he has been a key part of the team for a decade now.
While Man Utd wanted to make him the cornerstone of their project, the midfielder ultimately chose continuity.
Barcelona were right in their decision to keep Frenkie eventually. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Barcelona’s finances at that time prompted them to consider selling the Dutch maestro, who was one of the more sellable assets in the squad.
His ability to retain the ball under pressure, break the first line of the press and drive forward with the ball at his feet makes him invaluable to the team.
Ten Hag’s words show how much he wanted De Jong in the project he was building at Manchester.
Frenkie has instead chosen to pursue success at Barcelona, and it remains to be seen how he fares against PSG if given the chance.