Barcelona have bee trying for weeks to enter into negotiations with Frenkie de Jong, but without success. They want to extend the Dutch midfielder’s contract, which currently expires in 2026, by another three seasons, although the player himself has no intention of doing so at this time.
But why is that? Marca have detailed the reasons behind de Jong’s decision to leave Barcelona in limbo. Firstly, the 26-year-old understands that time is on his side, and that he will hold more power in negotiations as time goes on.
Furthermore, de Jong understands that Barcelona’s asking price for him, believed to be €70-80m, is too high for other clubs to pay. As a result, he’d want that to go down, but it won’t happen this summer as there’s no immediate pressure, which is why he wants to bring that pressure himself. It’s also worth noting that he will earn €20m during the 2024-25 season.
De Jong realises that it is better to wait until next summer to discuss terms with Barcelona, as he will have further power. He’d only have one year remaining on his existing deal, which not only would lower his asking price for interested clubs, but also would leave Barcelona scrambling to avoid losing him for nothing the following season. This can allow him to dictate terms during contract talks.
You can imagine that Barcelona would not be very happy with de Jong’s stance, as it will put them in a very difficult situation. It will be interesting to see whether the club themselves force any movement in the coming weeks – which could involve actively looking to sell him.