Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has revealed that Marc-Andre ter Stegen urged him to reject a potential move to Manchester United last summer. The Red Devils spent months in negotiations with the Catalan club to try and secure a deal for the Dutch midfielder, who was Erik ten Hag’s top target having worked with him at Ajax. However, the transfer ultimately collapsed due to outstanding wages De Jong was owed and the matter of who should pay them.
Ter Stegen is delighted his team-mate remained at Camp Nou in spite of the interest from United and believes he will be key when the two sides face off in the Europa League on Thursday evening. He said: ‘I was hoping he would stay because this is the type of player I want to have in my team. I want to make very clear, when I talked to him I tried to [make him stay]. One day I will just put him in something here [he pretends to tie a rope around a chair leg] to keep him here always. I hope he will be here for a long time.’
The goalkeeper went on to praise De Jong’s excellent performances this season, saying: ‘He brings a lot, I have a super high opinion of him but I also expect a lot from him because he has so much talent. He sees and feels football in a different way and this is why he is someone that Gavi and Pedri, for example, can look up to. And I think he’s just a great player.’
Ter Stegen also spoke positively about Barcelona’s change to a midfield four from their more traditional trio, claiming it has been beneficial for both De Jong and Sergio Busquets. He said: ‘It is also something that benefits our game because he (De Jong) has a bit more freedom, because he is still covered by Busi (Busquets). It’s very interesting how they communicate also, and how they manage on the field, which is very important for us. He has that freedom and you see that sometimes he is moving somewhere else but always in communication with the other three midfielders. But it is working well. For him it is good to have this bit of freedom. And Busi – you can always rely on him to keep the position, keep the structure, and I think it’s very beneficial for both.’
Barcelona and Manchester United will go head-to-head in the Europa League on Thursday evening, with Ter Stegen’s words of encouragement for De Jong sure to be ringing in his ears.
