Barcelona boss Xavi has insisted Frenkie de Jong is still part of his plans, despite naming him on the bench for their La Liga opener on Saturday.
Manchester United have spent the summer chasing De Jong’s signature after Erik ten Hag identified his former Ajax protégé as an ideal addition for the club. The Reds though have been left frustrated in their attempts to prise him away from the Nou Camp, despite agreeing a fee last month.
Xavi and Barca president Joan Laporta have maintained that they don’t want to sell the midfielder. The Catalan giants though are in a precarious financial position – De Jong is still owed €17m over a wage deferral he agreed to in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
