Frankie De Jong He said he was disappointed with how few trophies he had won. Barcelona And that he will only stay at the club if he feels he can still contribute on the pitch.
The 27-year-old joined Barca from Ajax in 2019 but has won just three titles since signing – one La Ligaa Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercopa — and has been plagued by ankle problems over the past two seasons.
“Barca was and is my dream club,” De Jong said in an interview. Voetbal International on Thursday. “As a little boy, I wanted to play here. I still enjoy every day at this club, but like in real life, not everything is as ideal as you imagine.
“There’s a reason they say you should never meet your heroes, right? I must admit that when I signed my contract here, I didn’t think that after [five] Over the years I could only win one La Liga, one Copa del Rey and one Supercopa.
“I thought at least double that, so trophy-wise, it’s disappointing. But, along the way, there are always things you can’t anticipate.”
De Jong is currently facing the toughest period of his time at the Catalan club after suffering an ankle injury last season.
The Dutch international has spoken of the “mental trauma” he has suffered as a result of the injuries, as he moves into the final 18 months of his contract with Barca, which expires in 2026. happening
He has previously turned down offers to leave the club, including from Manchester United in 2022, but says he will consider leaving if he feels he is not at the desired level.
“People often think that I want to stay in Barcelona forever because I live here very well with football. Yes,” he added. “That’s true, but it’s secondary to what happens on the pitch.
“If I see that I can’t show enough here, that I’m not contributing or that I can’t win anything with the team, then I won’t be here anymore.
“I’m at a crossroads in my career. I’ve only had a year and a half at Barcelona and you read in the papers that it’s a problem. For me, it’s not right now.
“Let me start playing football first, then we’ll see what the club has planned and then I’ll sit down with my family and [my agent] I decide for myself what I want.”
De Jong knows that timing is of the essence. He returned from his latest ankle problem in October but has started just two games since then and was an unused substitute in Barca’s last two matches before the winter break.
“I need time, I know that and the coach knows it,” he said of not coming off the bench for the first time in the home defeat. Leganés And then Atlético MadridWhich jumped ahead of Barca at the top of La Liga.
“If I don’t play in a few weeks, it’s my own fault. It really has to happen now; that feeling is very strong with me.”