Barcelona have not yet opened contract talks with midfielder Frenkie de Jong due to reported issues with the Dutchman’s representatives, with his current deal set to expire next summer.
De Jong’s time in Catalonia has been a real rollercoaster of speculation, with the club spending several years trying to sell him and rid themselves of his high salary, only for the Dutchman to stand firm.
His resilience has been rewarded. De Jong ended the 2024–25 season as a crucial part of Hansi Flick’s squad and there is now a mutual desire to thrash out an extension to a contract which has just 12 months left to run. The 28-year-old has publicly confirmed his wish to stay.
However, MARCA note that contract negotiations have not yet been held, with Barcelona left waiting for the outcome of a feud between De Jong and agent Ali Dursun.
De Jong is keen to dismiss Dursun as his representative and bring an end to a partnership which has spanned over 15 years, but he has not yet found a way out of his contract and is currently focused on that issue.
Barcelona have been forced to wait patiently for a conclusion to the saga, with De Jong then needing to appoint a new agent. Once all that is done, Barcelona will finally be able to begin negotiations over a new deal.
While De Jong’s desire to remain removes some of the pressure of the situation, Barcelona are desperate to speak with the Dutchman and reach an agreement over his high wages, which are likely to be deferred as part of any new contract.
Barcelona are operating above their financial limit in La Liga and need to reduce the squad wage costs if they are to register any new high-profile signings, and there is plenty of scope to agree to a new salary for De Jong as he enters a season which could see him earn as much as €27 million ($31.3 million) gross.
Club officials have already made it clear that De Jong’s current salary is unsustainable and a partial deferment is expected to be the preferred course of action.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona ‘Left Waiting’ in Frenkie de Jong Contract Negotiations.
