‘Are you not ashamed of yourselves?’ asked Frenkie de Jong of the press on Tuesday, calling them out for publishing fake figures about his contract. As Barcelona’s finances bite hard, de Jong is again being linked with the exit door, but what has been described as a ‘positive’ meeting took place today regarding his future.
As per Sport, Sporting Director Deco met with de Jong’s agent Ali Dursun for around an hour and a half in a restaurant today, to get on the same page regarding his future. The Blaugrana want to extend his contract to 2029 reportedly, and in theory that should be possible, as Dursun communicated that de Jong is happy in Barcelona. Deco also wanted to transmit positivity and support to the Dutchman, in the latest edition of ‘frequent contact’ between the two.
However well-intentioned both parties are, the numbers will have to be crunched. Barcelona ultimately want de Jong to take a pay cut and spread the money he is due to earn over a longer commitment. The alternative is a sale. If de Jong is not willing to accept a lower wage, he can likely get used to being the focus of the media’s attention again.
