There has been a lot of speculation about the future of Frenkie de Jong at FC Barcelona. There is no doubt that he is one of the key players in the Catalan club’s squad, and there are very few players who match the quality and skills that he offers.
However, retaining him at the club will involve a monumental economic effort from the Catalan club. According to a report from SPORT, De Jong will cost FC Barcelona up to €39 million per season starting from the upcoming summer.
This cost reaches such a high level mainly because his wages were deferred by Bartomeu’s administration when he renewed his contract till 2026.
It is clear that Barcelona cannot afford to pay such high wages to a single player, and thus are considering two alternative ways to deal with the situation. They can either sell him or get him to sign a new contract with lower wages.
The player’s total wages will not decrease if he accepts the renewal offer the club has proposed. Instead, Barcelona aim for him to receive less money for the wages that were deferred. With this renewal, De Jong would earn around €15 million per season, aligning more closely with the economic realities of the Catalan club.
However, if such a setup is not acceptable for the player, Barcelona will look to sell him for a significant amount of money. The Catalans had already tried to take such an approach when they tried to sell him to Manchester United in 2022, but the operation was not successful.
Frenkie de Jong is very comfortable at Barcelona at this time and is not considering a departure. However, Barcelona officials are clear that they will have to sell the player if he does not accept the renewal offer.