Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, has dismissed the speculation linking rumoured Tottenham target Frankie de Jong with a move away from Camp Nou in the summer.
Since Jijantes FC first broke the news earlier this month that Tottenham were ready to pay €60m (£51.3) for De Jong in the summer, the speculation over the midfielder’s future has continued to intensify.
A couple of weeks ago, Sport suggested that the Catalan club will ask the midfielder, who is their highest earner, to accept a new deal on a reduced salary.
It was suggested that should he refuse to do so, the former Ajax man would be put on the shop window and sold to the highest bidder in the summer.
However, last week, the 26-year-old himself shot down rumours of an exit, describing them as ‘fake news’ and insisting that he is happy at Barca (Fabrizio Romano).
Deco has now broken his silence on the midfielder’s future, making it clear that neither he nor Ronald Araujo will be allowed to leave in the summer.
The Barca sporting director told Movistar (as relayed by TEAMtalk): “What will happen to Araujo and De Jong? Nothing will happen.
“They have a contract and we want to keep the best. And they are the best. They are footballers of the present and the future.
“They are players who have earned the right to be at Barca, and they have earned the respect of the fans and the club. We want to continue counting on them.”
Spurs Web Opinion
The suggestion that Spurs would vie for De Jong always seemed quite unrealistic, particularly given that the Premier League side would have likely had to break their wage structure to sign the midfielder.
This clear statement by Deco should put an end to the rumours linking the Dutchman with a move to North London, but having said that, if they did put the player on the shop window, it would not be the first time Barca had gone back on their word.
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