Barcelona midfielder requested press conference appearance ahead of Napoli clash to clear rumours

Barcelona have been preparing to face Napoli in the Champions League round of 16 since the draw was announced, with the league looking increasingly out of sight, in light of Real Madrid’s form.

With the tie only one day away now, the club hosted pre-game press conferences for Frenkie de Jong and Xavi, both of whom spoke very boldly about the game, their plan, and especially the media.

Frenkie de Jong, in particular, seemed to have come prepared to address some of the rumours that have been circulating about his future, salary, and his contract extension.

Helena Condis has revealed that de Jong himself asked Barcelona to attend the pre-game presser ahead of the Napoli clash. He wanted to clear out the noise that had been in the air about him.

Further, the player also admitted that the press conference staff of Barcelona told him his presser was “too much”.

“My future? The truth is that I’m a bit pissed off with what you people [journalists] write in general! A lot of things are coming out that are not true, it’s irritating me,” the Dutchman started off his presser by saying.

De Jong also made sure to name-check his salary leaks, and clarified that he does not, indeed, earn the €40 million (gross)/€20 million (net) wages that have been quoted recently.

He also added, “What you say about my salary is very far from reality. Figures have been invented that are not true. I am very happy at Barça and I hope to continue playing here for many years.”

While that should seal the news about his future for a while, reports about his departure have been in the media for a while, now.

PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United are some of the clubs interested in his signature, with Barcelona reportedly demanding a fee in the region of €100 million to sell him in the summer.