‘The press have a big influence, you can tell which players have PR agencies’ – Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong

“The press can really influence how people see you; that’s something I especially noticed during that period. Back then, it was all about my contract, with all sorts of figures about what I was supposedly earning, while that was not true. But then you notice they [the outside world] see you differently from that point; they judge you differently… It starts to get into people’s heads.”

“When a player loses possession but the commentator says nothing, people don’t really notice. But if he says: ‘Hmm, that’s already the fourth time he’s lost the ball, he’s not playing well today,’ that sticks with people. Many don’t really watch a game closely, they don’t notice what’s happening. And so it’s very important how people report stories, or comment on a match. I think it has more influence than people realise.”

Beyond contract situations, de Jong noted that the players who have people shaping the narrative for them are often giving more positive reviews.

“And besides that, in football there are interests: some journalists have contacts with players, or through others. There are also several players who have PR agencies working for them. And you just notice there’s a difference in how people are judged. Sometimes in football people don’t watch objectively, without even realising it.”

‘Rashford adds a lot to our game’

One of the players now in the spotlight over his future at Barcelona is Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford. De Jong was positive about the England international’s impact.

“A really good guy. Open and kind and he’s also having a big impact for us on the pitch. With his speed and depth, he really adds a lot to our game. And by doing so, he also forces the opponent’s defence to drop back a bit, which creates more space for us in the middle.”

Rashford, 28, has a buy clause in his contract of €30m, which Barcelona are briefing that they will not pay. Manchester United have shown no sign of lowering their demands, but Barcelona may yet try to negotiate them down.