Few players have the opinion in Barcelona just as much as Frenkie de Jong. The Dutch midfielder arrived as a young midfielder from the back of an exciting run with Ajax up to an amount of € 86 million as the next dominant figure in their midfield for a large part of the following decade. But when he approaches his second contract with the Blaugrana, his legacy remains unclear.
After being an undisputed starter for a few years without necessarily dominating the center of the field, Barcelona began to praise him three years ago for a summer sale and tried again on different points afterwards. With a contract offer from Barcelona that will remain unanswered in 2024, the club then moved into the offer.
At the same time, De Jong struggled with an ankle problem that kept him outside for five months, and when he returned, Marc Casado had appropriated him. The attitude at Can Barca was that patience had run thinly with De Jong, and he was a high earner who did not agree with his contributions. With his deal in 2026, and no sign of conversations despite Gavi, Pedri and Ronald Araujo, De Jong began to look like a likely sale in the summer.
However, Sport says that manager Hansi encourages Flick Barcelona to sign De Jong for a new contract. The Dutch midfielder now wants to stay after some doubts in 2024, and Flick believes that he has a series of qualities that suit him and his style. The 27-year-old was one of the few requests made to the club when he arrived that they are holding on to him.
Of course, salary will be the most important point of discussion, and as one of the two highest earners in Barcelona this season, he will probably have to take a cut if he wants to stay. With De Jong who starts merging performance, the situation looks much different than two months ago. Liverpool and Saudi Arabia are also credited for interest in De Jong.
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