FC Barcelona know that some less-than-ideal scenarios may present themselves in the summer transfer window. At the moment, the Catalan giants are aware of both their financial and sporting difficulties, and to change them, some severe actions may need to be taken by Barcelona.
The first would be a change of managerial staff. However, that will not be a dilemma for the club to solve as Xavi Hernandez has already announced his departure. On the other hand, the most certain dilemma will undoubtedly be the need to make some important sales of players that may be considered ‘untouchable’.
In recent news, the name apart from Ronald Araujo to be brought up in this case is that of Frenkie De Jong. However, SPORT reveals that Deco continues to have faith in the continuation of the Dutchman and Barcelona have already offered him a new contract proposal that could see him continue beyond 2026.
However, this contract acts as both a lifeline and an ultimatum for the Dutch midfielder. This is because while this contract will allow De Jong to have an increased stay at Barcelona, it would come at the cost of a reduced salary.
Barcelona want to offer him and themselves sustainability at the same time to allow the continuation of their relationship. On the other hand, should De Jong reject the proposal and choose to continue on his current contract, he will remain Barça’s highest earner.
Since the club would want to avoid this, they may be forced to sell the Dutchman in the summer in the hopes of decreasing both their salary space and increasing their budget to spend in the transfer window themselves.
Even last summer, important offers from the likes of Manchester United arrived. Mateu Alemany, in particular, was among those at the time who believed De Jong’s sale could help Barça overcome some financial difficulties.
However, the deal ultimately did not materialize, and Barcelona president Joan Laporta himself confirmed offers worth €100 million were turned down for their star midfielder.
Now, however, it seems that times have changed quite a lot. De Jong no longer seems fully content with the current sporting project and based on how Barcelona manage to advance their progression, his decision could be adjusted. For now, there are reports suggesting that he has already opened his ears to possible new offers.
