Xavi admits he ‘don’t know’ whether Frenkie de Jong is still a… Barcelona player comes to the end of the transfer window after the president of the club gave Manchester United and Chelsea hope to make a deal.
Barcelona wants to sell De Jong privately this summer to raise money and improve their dire financial situation.
But while Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea have expressed interest in a transfer, De Jong is reluctant to leave the Nou Camp.
De Jong’s preference is to stay with Barca, not only because it is his dream club, but also because he still owes millions of deferred wages.
The 25-year-old made his first preseason start in Barcelona’s 2-0 win over New York Red Bulls on Sunday.
Xavi was asked about the speculation about De Jong after the game and said: ‘I don’t know if he will stay, there is still time and anything can happen. At the moment, like everyone else, he is part of the team.”
De Jong played in Barcelona’s defense this summer, but returned to midfield against New York.
When asked if he messaged De Jong by playing him as a defender before, Xavi added: “The fact that he played as a central defender in the other matches was not a sign that he was leaving.
“I don’t have to give signals on the field, I can talk directly to my football players.”
Manchester United have been strongly linked with a move to De Jong since they appointed Erik ten Hag as their new manager in April.
Ten Hag worked with De Jong at Ajax and would like to reunite with his compatriot at Old Trafford and make him his fourth summer acquisition after Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez.
However, Chelsea are also linked with De Jong and Thomas Tuchel has publicly admitted he is desperate to see new signings arrive at Stamford Bridge before the transfer deadline.
Yesterday, Barcelona president Joan Laporta gave Manchester United and Chelsea new hope to sign De Jong.
Asked if he can confirm that De Jong will not leave this summer, Laporta said CBS Sports: ‘In football you never know. I can’t say it categorically. It all depends on the different parties.
“But in principle I can say that there is a good chance that he will stay, and I can say as president that I will do my best for him to stay at Barcelona.”
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