Man Utd discover the 'last thing' Frenkie de Jong wants as Erik ten Hag sent clear message

Erik ten Hag has been told in no uncertain terms that Frenkie de Jong does not want to leave Barcelona and join Manchester United this summer. The Dutchman has been admired by the Red Devils since 2022, when he was targeted by Ten Hag in his first season at Old Trafford.

United have since been tipped to revive their interest in De Jong at the end of the season, but it seems that a move to England could remain a non-starter. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted that De Jong has no intention of leaving any time soon in a clear hands-off message to United and any other interested parties.

“Frenkie de Jong is super happy here,” Laporta told Mundo Deportivo. “The last thing he wants is leaving Barcelona. He always told me that he loves to be at Barca and we’re delighted with Frenkie too. I’m not worried with his future at all.”

Laporta went on to explain that although De Jong would be allowed to leave if he wanted to seek a new challenge, he remains fully committed to Barcelona and is not thinking about going anywhere else.

“I’m not worried about anyone and if someone wants to leave, we can’t go against a player’s will, but I think everyone wants to stay,” he added. “We want everyone we have to stay. We don’t want any of them to leave, because no team in history has been a flash in the pan.”

De Jong remains tied down to Barcelona until the summer of 2026, having recently agreed a two-year extension to his previous deal with the club. He has been a regular starter when fit but has struggled with injuries throughout the campaign and is currently sidelined with an ankle problem.

The midfielder previously suggested that he would be happy to stay at Barcelona for the rest of his career, insisting that his firm stance against a move elsewhere had not changed in the slightest.

“I always wanted to be at Barca,” said De Jong when quizzed on why he was not keen on joining United two years ago. “In these first years [since joining from Ajax] we had not won La Liga, nor had we come far in the Champions League. We had only won one Copa del Rey.

“To succeed at Barca I had a lot left [to achieve] and I also saw that the team was improving that summer. Players of a high level arrived and that’s why I wanted to keep going. It’s my dream club and I want to be here all my life. I didn’t want to leave suddenly.”