Frenkie de Jong had looked destined to leave Barcelona earlier this season, but now looks to stay – although his future could still be open, depending on the outcome of coming contract negotiations.
When returning a five -month injury in the campaign, De Jong struggled for form, and that led him to be a bank player for Hansi Flick. However, he has reversed his fortunes in recent weeks and now he is considered to be part of the “Gala XI”, alongside Pedri and Dani Olmo in midfield.
And that is why De Jong now looks destined to stay in Barcelona – and in the process he should also sign a new contract. It is expected that negotiations with sports director Deco will start in the coming weeks, whereby both parties would like an agreement before the end of the season.
There is hope that contract discussions will be smoother than in the past between Barcelona and De Jong, although the club could be a curveball in the new release clause of the Dutchman. According to the sport, Deco is considering repeating the trick that he used with Ronald Araujo by making it affordable for clubs to sign De Jong, who would then have the choice to stay or leave.
The figure that is being discussed for De Jong's new release clause is € 80 million, which is a figure that can seduce the multiple Premier League clubs that the 27-year-old have had on their radar in recent months.
De Jong has proven his value to Barcelona in recent months, but it makes sense that they do not consider him unnecessary. This would be a smart way to keep the option of a sale very open, but it is still to see whether the player agrees.
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