In his post-match press conference, Barcelona boss Xavi said the following on Frenkie de Jong’s future: “I don’t know if he’s going to stay, there’s still time and a lot of things can still happen.
“At the moment he’s part of the team, like everyone else.”
Xavi was then asked if playing Frenkie at centre-back was an attempt to push him out of the club, to which he said: “The fact that he played as a central defender in the other games was not a sign that he was leaving.
“I don’t need to send signals on the pitch, I can speak directly with my footballers.”
Catalan outlet Sport further adds that Barca will be forced to sell the 25-year-old midfielder to avoid issues in registering players signed this summer.
However, De Jong considers Barcelona his ‘dream club’ and doesn’t wish to join a side that won’t play in the Champions League next season. He’s also unwilling to leave Camp Nou over his unpaid wages worth £17 million.