Ten Hag closes the door on Barcelona move for Ruud Nijstad: ‘He wants to stay here’ | OneFootball

FC Barcelona closely monitored Ruud Nijstad during the summer transfer window, with the 18-year-old regarded as one of the most promising young defenders in Dutch football.

However, FC Twente refused to consider his departure, even rejecting an €8 million offer from the La Liga champions.

Despite being thwarted, the Blaugrana have continued to monitor Nijstad, with an eye on a potential move in the January transfer window.

Ten Hag closes the door

However, Twente’s technical director, Erik ten Hag, has revealed that Nijstad never indicated that he wanted to leave the club, despite attracting interest from several major sides.

“There’s a great deal of interest in Ruud from some very big clubs. That’s no secret,” Ten Hag told RTV Oost, as quoted by SPORT.

Barcelona are interested in Nijstad. (Photo courtesy: X/fctwente)

The former Manchester United manager was nevertheless clear that Nijstad never tried to force through a transfer.

“He wants to stay here. We didn’t renew his contract by chance. He wants to continue his development here, at least this season, succeed with us, and then we’ll see what happens,” Ten Hag explained.

Nijstad signed a new deal until 2029

Nijstad extended his Twente contract in June, committing his future to the Dutch club until 2029. The new agreement was intended to protect one of the brightest prospects to emerge from the club’s academy.

Barcelona’s interest became particularly strong during the summer. As mentioned previously, the Catalan club submitted an offer of around €8 million for the centre-back, but Twente rejected it because they were looking for a higher fee.

Nijstad’s contract runs until 2029. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images for DFB)

Ten Hag remained firm throughout the negotiations, making it clear that Twente had no intention of letting the teenager leave.

Twente’s plan is now for Nijstad to continue his development with the first team this season before reassessing his situation in the future.

Barcelona will therefore have to wait if they want to revive their interest in one of the Netherlands’ most highly rated young centre-backs.

January could provide another opportunity for the Blaugrana, although Twente’s current stance suggests the club will continue to make keeping Nijstad a priority.