Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted that he "never wanted to sell" Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong over the summer despite the widespread speculation surrounding his future.
The 25-year-old was believed to be a leading transfer target for Manchester United during the recent transfer window, with the Red Devils spending much of the summer chasing his signature.
Barcelona's financial problems had allegedly led to them deciding to place De Jong on the transfer list.
However, the Netherlands international insisted on a number of occasions that he was not interested in moving clubs.
Laporta has now said that he never had any desire to negotiate an exit for the former Ajax youngster.
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"I have never wanted to sell Frenkie de Jong because he is one of the mainstays we have, he is one of the great talents, young and called to be like he is already one of the team leaders," Laporta told BarcaTV.
There has again recently been speculation surrounding De Jong's future, with Man United believed to be keen to reignite their interest in 2023.
However, the midfielder reiterated a desire to remain at Camp Nou while speaking on 'FC Barcelona: A new Era'.
"I see myself playing here for a long time. I don't care for rumours about whether I'm going to another club or staying here. We haven't spoken about it and no one from the club has told me anything. I don't think it will happen," said De Jong.
The Dutchman has featured on 17 occasions for Barcelona this season, scoring two goals and providing one assist, while he played five times at the World Cup, as Holland reached the quarter-finals.
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Barcelona sporting director Jordi Cruyff recently hinted that De Jong was no longer for sale.
"Today this is not being talked about. In football there are moments and sometimes they are not defined solely by football issues," Cruyff told Sport.
"The fair play situation. Not everyone understands what it is, there are changes every week, but there are situations and decisions that are not just football things. But time has passed and he has an important role.
"The reality is that Frenkie has stayed, he is a loved player, people expect a lot from him because he is very talented and a slightly different player. There was the possibility because good players are always wanted by good teams, it works like that. The reality is that he is here and he is playing an important role.
"There are market moments and it's no longer with Frenkie, but with everyone, there is a fair play rule and the consequences of not complying with it are enormous and there are calculations that have nothing to do with what happens on the pitch."
De Jong made the move to Barcelona from Ajax in July 2019, and he was represented the Catalan side on 157 occasions, contributing 15 goals and 19 assists in the process.
Matt Law
