In his interview with Diario Sport, Barcelona’s director Jordi Cruyff was asked whether Frenkie de Jong remains on the market.
At present, this is not a topic of discussion. In football, sometimes there are situations in which it’s not only the footballing aspect that matters… There’s also the Financial Fair Play. But the time to sell [Frenkie] has passed, he is an important player now,” Cruyff said.
“There was the possibility [to sell him] because the big players are always wanted by the big clubs, that’s how it works. These are things that happen during the market, not only with Frenkie but with everyone.
“There are the fair play rules and the consequences if you do not follow them, decisions that do not depend on what happens on the pitch. Things add up and you have to decide. No way around it.”
Barca had an agreement with Manchester United over De Jong last summer and tried to push him out of the club. However, the midfielder withstood the pressure and continues at Camp Nou.
The Dutchman had limited involvement at first but regained Xavi’s trust as the season progressed