Frenkie de Jong has said that Barcelona president Joan Laporta put pressure on him to leave Camp Nou during the summer transfer window.
The Catalan giants are believed to have been keen to move the Netherlands international on during the summer to ease their financial issues.
De Jong is capable of raising a high transfer fee, with Manchester United believed to have been prepared to pay in excess of £70m, while the midfielder also collects a substantial pay packet at Camp Nou.
The Dutchman insisted on a number of occasions over the summer that he was not prepared to leave, though, and Man United were ultimately forced to admit defeat in their pursuit.
Chelsea and Bayern Munich were also credited with an interest late in the window, but De Jong remained with his La Liga club past the deadline.
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The midfielder has said that pressure to leave Barcelona during the recent market came from a number of areas, including the club's president Laporta.
"I was calm. I decided in May that I wanted to stay. My opinion has never changed during this entire period," De Jong told Ziggo Sport.
"I stayed calm. But then you know the pressure would start to come. Yes, from the newspapers, from the president, exactly. From everywhere actually. But I wanted to stay at Barca so it never baffled me."
A recent report claimed that Man United remain in contact with Barcelona, with the Red Devils still interested in bringing De Jong to Old Trafford in the future.
Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is also said to be keen on De Jong, who still has another four years left to run on his current deal with Xavi's side.
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De Jong has made 10 appearances for Barcelona this season, scoring once, but he has found it difficult to break into the starting side in 2022-23.
The midfielder has only started three La Liga matches this term, while he has been named in the first XI on just one occasion in the Champions League.
De Jong is desperate to be given the chance to play from the start against Real Madrid on Sunday afternoon, with Barcelona making the trip to Bernabeu for the latest instalment of El Clasico.
"I want to be a starter again. Against Bayern, I was not a starter and I hope to be against Real Madrid. Maybe he (Xavi) has already decided, but normally we don't know until the day of the game," he added.
Jules Kounde will be back for Barcelona on Sunday after recovering from a hamstring injury, but Andreas Christensen, Memphis Depay, Ronald Araujo and Hector Bellerin remain on the sidelines.
Matt Law
