"I'm very happy here" - Manchester United dealt transfer blow as long-term target wants to stay at current club for 'many more years'

Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong has revealed that he is very happy at Barcelona, amid strong interest from Premier League giants Manchester United.

The Red Devils have maintained a long-standing interest in De Jong and have been linked with the Barca man for the last two transfer windows. It is also believed that United could still re-ignite their interest in the talented midfielder in the upcoming summer transfer window.

However, Manchester United could possibly have been dealt a huge blow in their pursuit of De Jong's signature, judging by the player's recent comments.

The Dutchman stated in a recent interview that he is very happy at his current club Barcelona. De Jong also went further to reveal that his desire is to stay at Camp Nou for a longer period.

Speaking about his future, the former Ajax man said:

“I’m very calm here, very happy at Barca. I want to stay at Barcelona for many more years."

De Jong has since gone on to make a total of 176 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions since joining the Catalan giants in 2019.

Barca splashed a whooping sum of €75 million to secure the service of a relatively young De Jong from Ajax.

He has been a key member of Xavi Hernandez's team this season, making 32 appearances in all competitions. He has also scored two goals and registered one assist this season.

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Manchester United manager labels Frenkie De Jong as a 'fantastic player'

One manager who clearly knows De Jong's ability as a footballer is Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag, who worked with the midfielder at Ajax.

The Manchester United head coach came out last month to reveal his admiration for De Jong amid reports linking the Barca midfielder to Old Trafford.

Ten Hag said:

"So I think we have a class in 2019 that was a team with a lot of fascination and he brings a lot of that fascination, and I think he developed in the years after and here and in Spain, he became even better."

He continued:

"He's a fantastic player, plays out from the back, he always has time and it was a pleasure to work with him."

De Jong made 89 senior appearances for Ajax, scoring five goals and providing 13 assists.