Barcelona’s starting player receives renewal offer, but considers leaving the club at the end of the contract
With the end of the 2023/24 season approaching, speculation about players leaving is emerging. According to the Spanish newspaper ‘Marca’, Barcelona are trying to renew Frenkie de Jong, but are running into some difficulties.
The Dutchman’s contract with Barça is valid until 2026, as are Ronald Araujo, Gavi and Pedri, all fundamental players in the current squad. Despite this, the club and the player are uncertain about the future.
At the end of 2023, before the Christmas break, Barcelona would have made a formal renewal offer to De Jong, after constant conversations between Deco, sporting director, and Ali Dursun, the defender’s representative. According to the information, the new contract would be extended for another three years, until June 2029.
The extension of the contract is positive, but becomes negative when looking at the financial conditions. The new proposal would not improve on the current contract, which could lead to the player leaving. Currently, De Jong’s salary is €18 million (around R$97 million at current prices), and would remain so for the next few seasons.
Without financial improvements, the player and representative would still not have responded to Barcelona. Furthermore, Barcelona’s current financial situation, in relation to Fair Play, could accelerate the departure of number 21, as the probability of the Catalan club being able to invest in players for 2025/26 is low.
The player has the support of president Joan Laporta, who wants to stay, just as he prevented the Dutchman from leaving two seasons ago. Negotiations between Deco, Ali Dursun and De Jong will continue without a defined deadline, until a concrete decision is made.
