Barcelona have warned midfielder Frenkie de Jong that he must agree the terms of a new contract before January. transfer window if he wants to stay at the club, according to a report.
De Jong’s future at Barcelona has long been the subject of intense speculation and uncertainty has increased after the Dutchman entered the final two years of his contract, which expires in 2026.
according to SPORTthere is a willingness on the part of all involved to work out an extension, but the terms of any new deal have so far proved complicated.
De Jong is owed a significant amount of wages which he agreed to defer during the COVID-19 pandemic, before agreeing to a further delay to help the club balance its dire financial situation. Barcelona have tried to reach an agreement on those wages in recent contract negotiations, but progress is said to have stalled.
Barcelona is increasingly worried about the possibility of losing De Jong on a free transfer, especially because Chelsea, Manchester UnitedBayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have registered their interest in his services.
Claiming that De Jong will not be allowed to follow Ousmane Dembele in leaving on a free, Barcelona are said to have warned the 27-year-old that he has three months to agree terms on an extension before the club start planning for the life without him
De Jong has repeatedly refused to leave Barcelona and has publicly admitted his frustration at what he believes are attempts to force him out of the club by those in charge. He remains highly respected as a player, but the finances of his current contract, which he signed in October 2020 with former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, are believed to be a problem.
For his part, De Jong is relaxed about his future and believes that there is time for everything to develop naturally, but Barcelona seem increasingly agitated as they await the conclusion of one of the sagas of longest transfers in recent memory.
