Frenkie de Jong has revealed that he thought he would've played for Arsenal before joining Barcelona.
The 22-year-old midfield starlet enjoyed a breakout campaign last season for Ajax, which resulted in a transfer to Barcelona who struck a deal with him in January.
De Jong was officially unveiled as a Barcelona player last week, but he's admitted that he envisaged a move to Arsenal before sealing a switch to the Camp Nou.
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"I actually thought Arsenal was pretty beautiful in the past," he said. "In my mind I have had the following list for a long time: Ajax-Arsenal-Barcelona, call it the Marc Overmars route.
"But yes, if you can go directly to Barcelona, then you are also right where you want to be. Faster than you ever dared to dream."
De Jong could've called the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi teammates, though, instead, he'll play alongside his idol Lionel Messi.
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"I am very happy to be here finally," he said at his Barcelona presentation.
"As a child it was a dream for me to play at Barca, and now I'm here so it's great.
"I'm really looking forward to setting foot on the Camp Nou pitch for the first time," he added. "I'm happy to be able to play with Messi, who I have always followed. Now my idol will be my team-mate.
"I like Barca's way of playing. The philosophy of Barca and Ajax are very similar, and I think I will enjoy it.
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"Barca and Holland have always had a great, special connection, and I hope to follow in that tradition. I want to be one of the great Dutch players who have played at Barcelona."
Arsenal, meanwhile, remain in the market for new talent but they're operating on a shoestring transfer budget.
The club have been heavily linked with a move for Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha and Southampton's Mario Lemina.
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