Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has refuted claims of a rift with the club, while dismissing rumors suggesting that he earns as much as €37m annually, Soccernet.football reports.
De Jong’s time at Barcelona has been somewhat challenging in recent years. He has spent the past five months recovering from a complicated ankle injury, with reports alleging that he refused the club’s advice to undergo surgery.
Additionally, the Dutch international is a frequent subject of transfer speculation, with suggestions that the Blaugrana are open to parting ways with him to ease their wage burden.
Manchester United showed strong interest in signing the Dutchman in 2022, following the appointment of his compatriot and former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag, although no deal was reached eventually.
In an interview with Barcelona One, De Jong addressed the falsehoods surrounding his career and sought to set the record straight.
“I understand the frustrations because throughout my recovery I have chosen to stay silent,” De Jong said.
“But then things come out that are not true, like I don’t want surgery, that I earn loads of money, as much as €37m. That’s a very big figure and is a long way off what I really earn.
“And then people are talking a lot about whether I have to have surgery. It is not true that the club told me I had to have an operation and I didn’t want one.
“Everyone at the club, the doctors and myself all agreed that surgery was not the best option. It has been very frustrating for a player who lives and breathes football to be out of action for a lengthy period.”