Barcelona tried to force Frankie De Jong out of the club last summer, with huge pressure put on the Dutch midfielder.
The club used their local Catalan media to try and paint De Jong as the bad guy, and he was seen by some as being greedy. Repeatedly the message was sent out that the player either had to accept a transfer to Manchester United, or elsewhere for that matter, or drastically drop his wages.
If he did neither then there were suggested threats of keeping him in the stands as a punishment. The whole circus was ridiculous and Barcelona came out of it looking terrible.
Even Erik ten Hag failed to convince him.
Mundo Deportivo say De Jong is now ‘untouchable’ and they lash out at people at Barcelona, those who specifically tried to force him out, now trying to take credit for his performances or bask in the reflected glory.
For the player, it all worked out in the end, for Barcelona it worked out better than they deserve, and for Manchester United it’s a case of what may have been.
