Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has swerved talk of a summer exit for star midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who increasingly looks like a candidate to be sold by the Blaugrana. According to the latest in Catalonia, he has not responded to a renewal offer that he has had on the table since October.
The Blaugrana are keen to renew de Jong’s contract at a lower rate and extend it, but if he does not accept a new deal, they will look to sell him. Due to the deferrals agreed by former President Josep Maria Bartomeu, de Jong is by far the highest paid in the squad, with a rumoured salary of nearly €25m per year.
Other reports claim it will cost €77m to keep de Jong for the coming seasons, and with his contract up in 2026, it makes sense for Barcelona to consider a sale this summer. De Jong, for his part, is happy in Barcelona where he has just had his first child, but is considering whether the team itself are heading in the right direction. Paris Saint-Germain have been linked to him since the news broke that Kylian Mbappe would be leaving the club.
Asked about a potential departure, Xavi gave little away.
“Frenkie is a very important player and he is comfortable at the club. This is not the time to talk about this. There are four months left in the season and we are not talking about departures. We are thinking about LaLiga and the Champions League.”
He did admit that de Jong had not hit the heights expected of him this season though.
“Frenkie has had good games and others not so much, like the entire team. We have lacked consistency and regularity. We all have to take a step forward.”
