The midfielder Frenkie de Jong was’very unhappy’ by Barcelona’s handling of a 2022 attempt by Manchester United to recruit him.

When Erik ten Hag took over as the club’s permanent manager over 18 months ago, the Netherlands international became his top transfer priority. United and Barcelona settled on a fee in the area of £56 million for De Jong after a protracted transfer dispute throughout the summer, however the Red Devils still needed to settle on personal terms.

De Jong ultimately decided to remain with Barcelona, and United opted to replace him with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen. In the end, De Jong made 43 appearances for Barcelona last season across all competitions, and he has continued to be a staple in Xavi Hernandez’s starting lineup this season.

The 26-year-old’s relationship with the club’s board reportedly suffered as a result of his anger at the way Barcelona tried to sell him, as reported by Sport. Apparently, De Jong has “calmed down,” and things between the player and the club are on the mend.

After starting six of Barcelona’s first seven games before spraining his ankle, the club is eager to sign De Jong to a new long-term contract. Although De Jong’s current contract with Barcelona expires in 2026, the club is requesting a salary reduction from him for the next two seasons.

Although Barcelona considers De Jong one of the world’s top midfielders, whether or not he accepts their offer is anyone’s guess. Since his high-profile transfer from Ajax in 2019, he has played 190 times for the Catalan club, helping them to the Copa del Rey and La Liga titles.

Xavi has become fond of De Jong over the past year, and the Barcelona manager has said he is astonished by the player’s high level of criticism since he has fought his way back into the starting lineup. He previously stated, “A footballer who is a 10 is an eight.”

“An eight-rated player is only a six-rated one. This is why the club is considered the most challenging to play in the globe. One of the best in the world is Frenkie. When he trains, he also becomes. That’s why some folks are taking it so seriously. People watch him train and wonder why he gets so much flak.

Barcelona’s midfield is stacked with a lot of great players. In their most recent match against Granada, Gavi, Ilkay Gundogan, and Fermin Lopez started as a three, with Oriol Romeu and Sergi Roberto sitting on the bench. Both De Jong and Pedri were out for the game.