Barcelona have confessed internally they're thrilled to have kept hold of Frenkie de Jong.
The Dutchman was of huge interest to Manchester United in the summer and, for a period, it looked as if the Spanish side were willing to sell. Erik ten Hag wanted to reunite with his compatriot whom he'd worked with at Ajax and the saga played out for several months.
Barcelona were in financial difficulty and needed to raise funds to rejig their squad. De Jong was a sizeable asset they could cash in on, but the player wanted to remain at the Nou Camp and eventually the Spanish side made it clear they weren't selling.
De Jong has since excelled in a side that now sit top of LaLiga and could wrestle back the title from Real Madrid. The 25-year-old has grasped what Xavi expects from him and Mundo Deportivo claim that club chiefs have privately declared: "Lucky we didn't sell him."
The source also added: "He understands better and better what is being asked of him and the coach values him a lot." De Jong has gone on to play 33 times in all competitions for the Catalan side despite competition from the likes of Pedri, Gavi and Sergio Busquets.
United's interest was such that they were expected to potentially go back in for De Jong as Ten Hag continued his rebuild. The club went on to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid last summer and the Brazilian has made a huge impact, but more reinforcements are necessary to make the side competitive domestically and in Europe.
De Jong though has spoken recently and appeared to dismiss any idea that he could leave Spain at the end of the season. "I am very happy and I want to continue for many years at Barça. I have always dreamed of playing for Barça and I want to succeed at Barça. I am very happy, comfortable, participating more in the game," he told RAC-1, via Sport.
"[Last summer] I was fine, calm because I knew I wanted to continue at Barça and I haven't changed my mind. With [Xavi] I have to continue and improve because each player has room to do so. Xavi helps me a lot, all the coaches have helped me in some way."
De Jong has underlined his desire to fulfil his ambitions at Barcelona following a difficult period at the club. "I have never won the League, it is my fourth year here and it is the closest I have been, but there is a long way to go. Winning the title makes me very excited, it's the main goal this year," he added.
