De Jong stays at Barcelona after wild summer of transfer speculation

Frenkie de Jong is staying put.

The Dutchman will continue playing for Barcelona following the closure of the transfer window. He resisted moves to Manchester United and Chelsea in the summer, The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano reports.

Barcelona reportedly agreed to sell De Jong to United in July for €85 million, but the deal never materialized. Chelsea apparently discussed a potential move in August before moving on to other targets.

Barcelona initially contemplated selling De Jong to balance their budget and finance other signings. Club president Joan Laporta eventually raised funds by trading away future income from television rights for immediate cash payments for as much as €500 million.

De Jong never wanted to leave Barcelona, according to Romano, even as the club proposed a pay cut. The Blaugrana owe him more than €17 million in wages he deferred during the pandemic, per Ajay Rose of The Athletic.

It’s unclear if he’ll recoup his salary or renegotiate terms with Barcelona. In a bid to trim the payroll, the Blaugrana initially asked De Jong to annul the contract extension he signed in October 2020.

De Jong has 13 goals and 15 assists in 143 appearances for Barcelona, joining from Ajax in July 2019 for €75 million.