Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has confirmed that midfielder Frenkie de Jong will not be leaving the club anytime soon.
The Dutch midfielder has been in the rumor mill as of late over a possible departure from the Catalan club. He has been linked with the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester City. The reigning Premier League champions reportedly would be open to a possible swap deal that would send English international Raheem Sterling to Barca and de Jong the other way.
Still, Xavi sees that the third-year Barca talent is one who will not be departing from the club even over next year's winter transfer window, which he opened up about during a press conference ahead of the La Liga fixture against Real Betis.
“Yes, he is non-transferable, very important,” Xavi said. “Capable of making a difference and the other day he made a difference, with the last pass, the goal. … Pau [Torres] jumped into the pressure and we wanted to win his back with Frenkie, and he did it. He played between the lines, he is the Frenkie we want, he was excellent in Villarreal.”
As noted by Xavi, de Jong had a potent performance in Barcelona's recent away league win against Villarreal. He scored a goal and created a trio of goal-scoring chances over the match. He simply had his way in possession against the Yellow Submarine's double-pivot setup.
The Dutch international has totaled for 109 appearances in all competitions over his run with Barca so far. He has five years remaining on his current contract deal with the club.
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