FC Barcelona yesterday officially announced the renewal of the left-back, Alejandro Balde, who will now stay with the club till 2028. The fullback will have a €1 billion release clause, and the completion of this operation indicates the achievement of one important objective for the Catalans.
However, their business in the renewals business is not yet fully done, and several other operations are on the club’s agenda for the coming days. Xavi and Yamal are next in line for renewal, but there is another player whom the club will be looking to renew in the coming days.
Frenkie having a good season
This player is Frenkie de Jong, who is having a wonderful season at Barcelona. He is being deployed at the base of the midfield in the current season, and accompanied by Gundogan, Gavi, and Romeu, he is making the entire team tick.
The arrival of Romeu and Gundogan seems to have taken much burden off of Frenkie, and Xavi is impressed with how De Jong is playing this season.
Another contract extension
The player still has some years on his contract, which goes on till 2026. He last signed an extension with the club in 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, under which the Dutchman had significantly high wages.
Now, as SPORT reports, the club is looking to propose an extension of Frenkie’s contract, similar to the one that was offered to Ter Stegen, which will financially help the club by reviewing the distribution of wages owed to him.
However, the major problem that the club will face in this regard is the cold relations between the player and the club. Last year, Barcelona tried to push Frenkie out as Manchester United came in with a bid. Frenkie withstood the pressure to leave, but the wounds from that summer still remain with him.
One saving grace for the club can be the recent changes in their sporting structure, as it was Mateu Alemany who had pushed Frenkie away from the club. Now, he is replaced by Deco, who will have to ensure that Frenkie’s contract is renewed without any hassles for the club.
Meanwhile, the player is happy at the club, as he expressed after his last match against Antwerp: “My renewal? I will let my agent take care of that, but I am very happy here.”
Xavi also expressed his desire to extend De Jong’s contract: “Frenkie de Jong is a key player for us. I believe he is in the best moment of his career… He is growing a lot. I would renew him with my eyes closed.”
