Barcelona enter the transfer market as De Jong considers dramatic U-turn

Frenkie de Jong has still not made a decision on Barcelona’s contract offer, and the Catalan club are bracing themselves for the Dutchman turning down their proposal.

The midfielder could extend his current contract by several years, but that does come with a financial price tag. If De Jong decides not to accept, Barcelona will be forced to enter the transfer market.

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Although De Jong is contracted to Barcelona until 2026, the Spanish side have decided they are willing to enter the transfer market next summer.

SPORT reports that Barcelona’s club management plans to look for a successor if De Jong decides not to accept their three-year contract extension offer.

Hansi Flick, coach of Barcelona, is not in favour of this. The German manager has been impressed by the performances of De Jong in recent weeks and feels that he does not need a new midfielder, aware that that Marc Casado, Gavi and Marc Bernal are ready to succeed De Jong in the long term.

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Barca given De Jong extension hope

Barcelona previously wanted to get rid of De Jong because of his contract duration and sky-high salary. This attracted the interest of Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, among others.

De Jong was previously not open to negotiations, but his management is now sitting at the table with Barcelona. According to El Nacional, the club wants to bind De Jong for a longer period with a special contract.

De Jong can expect an offer in the short term, which does not seem to involve a decrease in his salary at first glance.

“The way the deal is built means that he will earn the same amount, but that part of this is variable depending on his performance,” writes the Catalan newspaper. “De Jong will keep his salary provided that he plays a certain number of matches and/or minutes.”

Barcelona want to offer De Jong a fixed amount of €10 million per year, excluding bonuses. He could earn the remaining millions through his performances during the season. If De Jong agrees to Barcelona’s proposal, he will sign a four-year contract. This will tie him up until mid-2029.