This summer’s transfer saga surrounding Barcelona and midfielder Frenkie De Jong is absolutely astonishing.
The Netherlands international, who arrived at the Nou Camp from Ajax back in 2019, is the club’s top earner, rumoured to be pulling in around £470,000-per week (Capology).
However, following a turbulent three years that has seen Barcelona’s finances decimated, largely due to irresponsible spending and the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Spanish side are desperate to find ways to balance their books, and that is where De Jong comes in.
Although it would be fair to say that manager Xavi probably wouldn’t be thrilled at the prospect of losing the highly-rated 25-year-old, the problems at the Nou Camp extend far beyond what the manager can sort out.
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Therefore, outside of his contract, De Jong’s future is going to be decided by the club’s senior hierarchy and this is where the saga gets really complicated.
Already rumoured to be owed millions in deferred wages, the latest in the fascinating situation comes from The Athletic’s David Ornstein, who is reporting that Barcelona believes the midfielder’s current terms, which were negotiated and agreed to by the club’s former board, are illegal.
Not only that, but the La Liga giants, who are said to have evidence of wrongdoing, could even pursue legal action and that would leave De Jong facing an even more uncertain future.
? EXCLUSIVE: Barcelona told Frenkie de Jong on July 15 they have evidence of criminality around contract given by old board + cause for legal action vs all involved. #FCBarcelona asked him to annul deal & revert to previous terms @TheAthleticUK #MUFC #CFC https://t.co/g1at9ZqYL0
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 8, 2022
What all of this means for the player and the chances of him moving this summer, particularly to Manchester United, remains unknown.
However, with three weeks still to go in this summer’s transfer window, this saga, which is showing no signs of slowing down, looks set to rumble on until the very last day.
This is criminal behavior from Barcelona.They signed him on the terms they agreed to. He has every right to expect what is owed to him. Besides, he is actually one of their best players.This is what happens when bad management and a culture of impunity get hold of a club.Barcelona are heading for a fall at this speed.if this is how you treat your players, the dark days are around the corner…
If he says he loves Barcelona let him reduce his wage or he leaves just too greedy
Greedy? Both sides agreed to a deal. One side wants to back out and you call the one being re-traded greedy?
Who’s the greedy one?
Barcelona using him for 3yrs and now looking to dump him even with threats of lawsuit?
Did Messi reduced his wages???
He offered a pay cut to stay, but Barca management are so full of their own worth they felt they could survive without him. Last year proved how much they really needed him. Now they are trying it on with De Jong. I am slowly losing faith in my team.
I’m a die hard Barca fan , but I don’t see anything wrong with De Jong , I love the player and besides his already taken so much of a pay cut , coz he does love the club but we can’t just keep taking advantage of him…. His a fantastic player to deserves to be paid well
haha. that’s manipulation
There are no dark days around any corner. Players come and go, football remains. De Jong also needs to meet the club halfway by agreeing to the wage reduction that will help them register their new signings. Tell us otherwise, if he insist on staying and also would not accept any salary reduction, would he alone play the role of every department on the pitch. People need to stop being cynical and please, don’t come back with the story of “why is Barca signing more players” it’s not necessarily a question.
It is a question.
Work with your budget.
You have midfielders but signing new ones, sending young Puig to MLS and booting Memphis outta the club…. it’s not just De Jong issue it’s how Barcelona are treating every other player that they feel is no longer needed….well you both agreed to a contract so shush and pay the guy…. FCB is even owing him ffs
De Jong has no responsibility to do this. Barca need to live within their means and put thier big boy pants on.
let them respect the contract.
He is not one of their best players and no, they don’t have to keep him if they can’t pay him anymore. The answer is simple. He either takes a salary cut or he leaves. If Pique can agree to a salary cut then so can De Jong. His salary is outrageous, 30 million a year is bonkers.
You are talking nonesense so when you work in a place and you notice that the company you’re working with are struggling to pay you. What do you do??? You leave waiting for remaining two years contract agreement is a sign of you been wicked
@ Red Tide,,, that ur writeup goes to the incompenteds form board.
I m not barca fan and love what is happening to them but doesn’t frenkie has self respect they r kicking him and he is refusing to leave what a piece of shit he is
I don’t see how can you call De Jong greedy? He signed that contract with the belief that he would get that money. If he knew what was about to happen, maybe he wouldn’t sign the deal. Piquet is there for a very very long time and he has other kind of loyalty to the club that De Jong can have. Barca is backing out of the deal and you call De Jong greedy? It is Barcelona who is greedy…. They buying other players but don’t wanna pay what they owe to everybody else (its not only De Jong) who gave Barcelona a breathing space during pandemics by not requiring the salary they promised him and that is not enough, now they dont want to pay at all and want to sue him for making a deal with former board when he actually helped them… so you help Barca, Barca sues you… nicely ran club, every player should come to it… and if you are supporter, you justify that only by the statement: it is Barca, everybody else must be wrong… just terrible…
There’s a clause that Barca determines his future. The player knows he’s not getting such payment anywhere and the only club willing to pay such money is Man united who’s project is not convincing
De Jong was already helping Barca by taking deferred money. Now they want him to forget that money because of their own mismanagement as they continue to buy players irresponsibly with the crazy offers such as 55 million for Raphina instead of paying him first. Would you toss 17 million out of window?
No one is asking him to toss out 17m, if you believe that then I suppose u don’t know what deferred payment means, as for calling me Jong greedy I don’t support that either, but he needs to meet the club halfway and fit into the wage bill if he claims he loves the club so much I see no reason why he can’t take a pay cut, and as for the new signing I don’t think that’s necessarily a question the team needs to be competitive and players who have been brought in Know the situation of the club and have made sacrifices to be there, de Jong alone can’t play every position lacking in the squad and it’s not like he doesn’t have a place in the squad he does and he’s part of the project, Barca should have handled the situation better from the start but if Joan Laporta can choose the club over Messi then I don’t see why anyone else who leaves barca would be painful for the fans
Every Barcelona fan saying hes greedy and wicked for not reducing his wages or leaving lol they offered him the contract no one would accept it if roles were reversed and has for everyone saying if he loves the club he would do it well how about this instead of paying the 20 mil hes owed you mutally terminate his contract he can get a signing on fee at new club that covers hes losses and barca get no transfer fee but this wont happen because barca need every penny they can get lol and people forget if that contact is taken to court and is deemed void barca are in worse trouble has it means they have fielded an eliagble player. stop blamming your players and start blaming those in charge
I could care less what anyone thinks about me,the facts remain the facts, however.Barcelona extended De Jong contract, to which both parties agreed.Now,because they are in deep crap which they caused, they are trying to force him to make sacrifices.So what if Pique and Busquets took pay cuts?both are past their prime and won’t command high salaries if they leave Barcelona, even at their new rates.I hold no candle for frenkie, but he isnt in the wrong here.Neymar just activated a Three year extension clause, that was written into his contract, so he can continue to earn 600k a week!and that’s what he will get, because that’s what PSG agreed to pay him as per the terms of his contract.Barcelona fans refuse to accept that their club have been cooking the books for years and it’s beginning to show.Nobody cares why and who they sign. What we do care about is UEFA breathing down everyone else’s neck, screaming financial fair play, but somehow ignoring the obvious rot and corruption at this club.this is a clear case of ‘Mercy for me and my friends, but the law for everyone else’.
Barca should just eat a humble pie and pay this young man his dues and let him find another club in peace. I respect the young man’s strength to stand against injustice. They bought new players and paid like money flows from river Nile…endless. Stay put young man, until Barca leaves Catalonia and join Man U!!
For those who think De Jong is greedy, just put yourself in his shoes… If you’re still willing to accept the bad deal that Barca is offering De Jong – Great! I have a job waiting for you… BUT after you join my company, most of your salary will be deferred.. which will never be paid, I will hire and pay other new employees well, tell you you’re not thinking for the company if you don’t accept my poor treatment of you, threaten legal action, try to pimp you on to anyone who would pay… If you still think De Jong doesn’t love his club or is greedy, you’re the type of people I want to hire, come work for me, I’ll treat you the same way and I don’t want a squeak of complain from you!
You’re witnessing the end of Barca. Once they sell off all their TV rights, they will never recover. Barca may think they can just cheat Sixth Street like they are cheating De Jong now – I’m predicting, Barca will ask Sixth Street to annul their contract, threaten legal action and every Barca fan will say Sixth Street is greedy and harass them to agree to annul their contract with Barca – without Barca refunding the money!
Barca are more than greedy.Financial problems surrounding them yet they are still hijacking players,now they have the players registration is a pandemic to them.They are now wanting DE JONG to take a pay cut salary.AGREEMENT is AGREEMENT.Barcelona should RESPECT the contract.
Anybody calling De jong a greedy man is making a very mistate. He signed a contract with the club, so sticking strongly with details of his contracts is not a crime. Barcelona should pay him all that is due to him and stop forcing him to accept pay cut. Contract is contract and agreement is agreement.