Frenkie de Jong has branded Barcelona 'the club of his life', with the midfielder expressing a desire to stay at Camp Nou for the remainder of his career.

The Netherlands international was tipped to complete a move away from Barcelona during last summer's transfer window, with Manchester United heavily linked with his services.

The Catalan outfit were open to selling the midfielder due to their financial problems, while there has also been speculation surrounding his future in the current market, with the Red Devils still believed to be monitoring the developments at Camp Nou.

De Jong is one of the highest earners at Barcelona and is also among a small group of players at the club capable of raising a huge transfer fee on the open market.

However, the 26-year-old has said that he wants to 'spend his whole life' at Camp Nou.

"Barca is the club of my life. I want to spend my whole life here, I never wanted to leave despite the financial situation of the club last summer," he told El Periodico.

"I've always been a Barca fan since I was a kid. This is my dream club."

De Jong made the move to Barcelona from Ajax in the summer of 2019, and he has represented the Catalan side on 183 occasions, scoring 15 goals and registering 21 assists in the process.

The midfielder was again a vital player for Xavi's side last season, featuring 43 times in all competitions, scoring twice and providing four assists.

Barcelona will begin their 2023-24 La Liga campaign against Getafe on Sunday night, and Xavi has said that he is expecting "a very complicated match".

"We have strengthened well, the team has played well. We are expecting a five-man defence against a very difficult opponent. We will have a very complicated match and we will have to give our best," said Xavi during his pre-match press conference.

"It's going to be hard for us against Getafe, for sure. Getafe under [Jose] Bordalas are always very difficult."

Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo remain slight injury doubts for the clash on Sunday, but Xavi is expecting the defensive duo to shake off their issues to be available for the campaign opener.

"In principle, they will be available. They had some discomfort but if everything goes well they will be available," added the team's head coach.

Ilkay Gundogan is expected to make his debut for Barcelona, meanwhile, following his arrival from Manchester City on a free transfer. body check tags ::