FC Barcelona is starting to be convinced that its midfielder Frenkie de Jong is purposely putting off contract renewal talks to leave the club for free according to SPORT, which cited a report from Catalunya Radio that relied on anonymous sources.
Signing De Jong in 2019 from Ajax was considered a major coup from former president Josep Bartomeu at the time.
Continental rivals Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City were also interested in the winner of the best midfielder award in the Champions League, for an impressive 2018/2019 campaign in which his former Dutch employers went on an unlikely run to the competition’s semi-finals.
Yet Bartomeu managed to persuade the number 21 that the best place for his development would be in Catalonia, where the 27-year-old has been ever since.
Things haven’t quite gone to plan in that De Jong arguably hasn’t fulfilled his potential while Barca has only won one La Liga title and failed to go further than the UCL quarterfinals during his time as a Blaugrana player.
In 2022, he was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United and a potential reunion with former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.
And even though Ten Hag was fired late last month by the Red Devils, De Jong is still believed to be potentially on his way out of Hansi Flick’s high-flying squad in the near future.
According to Catalunya Radio, Barca believes that De Jong and his camp are dragging out a decision on renewing his contract so that he can leave for free when it expires on June 30, 2026.
This comes despite Flick reportedly considering De Jong key to his sporting project, which was communicated by handing the playmaker his 2024/2025 debut at Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday as Barca achieved a 5-2 win at the Marakana.
Losing a player it paid $75 million (€70 million) to land for free isn’t ideal for a club with well-documented financial issues in recent years, meaning that if De Jong doesn’t renew, the summer transfer window of 2025 is the last that Barca could look to recoup some money on De Jong and sell him to an interested party.
De Jong restructured his contract during the pandemic on Bartomeu’s watch, and agreed to defer pay that is now coming his way this season.
Sporting Director Deco made a long-term extension proposal to De Jong to spread out his back pay, but has thus far not received a response.
Though there have been meetings with his entourage, the club reportedly now believes that De Jong’s camp “doesn’t have much intention to move forward” which could lead to him receiving a frosty reception from Culers as seen when being introduced before the Joan Gamper Trophy match back in August.
