Future Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong admitted he turned down an offer to join Tottenham last year: “It was not the right moment.”
The Dutch international will join the Catalan giants in an €86m deal from Ajax this summer after prolonged speculation regarding his future.
“It was not the right moment, I was injured and I thought 'not yet', I felt that I had to stay at least one more year in Ajax,” De Jong told Four Four Two, as cited by El Mundo Deportivo.
“I considered the offer long and hard. It's a very stable club and it's going to be better. They also have a manager, Mauricio Pochettino, who is committed to young people and makes them better.
“I like the kind of game they play with and I think it would have been right for my game.
“I always wanted to play in Barcelona and the amount they were willing to pay to Ajax for me showed me this seriousness. I felt I had to take the opportunity because I would not have it again.”
