After spending the initial few months of this season on the sidelines, the return of the Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong to action about one month ago was expected to provide Hansi Flick’s midfield with another highly effective and competent piece.
However, since his return, the Dutchman’s performances have been significantly below his expected standards. Things have reached such a sorry state that he was booed by his own fans as he made his way to the pitch in the match against Brest.
In such a situation, the midfielder’s future at the Catalan club is far from certain, and Barcelona are in favor of letting the Dutchman leave at the end of this season. In fact, SPORT reports that the club is also willing to give him a letter of freedom in the summer of 2025, although a sale would be the ideal scenario for the Blaugranes.
There are several reasons why Barcelona are ready to part ways with De Jong. Firstly, the team’s midfield is well stacked to cover the loss of the Dutchman, with Casado, Pedri, Olmo, Gavi, Fermin Lopez, Pablo Torre, and Marc Bernal all present to play even if Frenkie leaves.
Secondly, De Jong is the player in the Barcelona squad who costs the club the most, with his total expenses, including salary and deferred wages, reaching up to €35 million.
Similarly, his current contract goes till 2026, and if he is to stay at the club, he will have to renew this contract before the end of this season. Such a possibility looks quite unlikely to the club, and the renewal offer he had from the club for months has also expired recently.
FC Barcelona have strong reason to believe that the midfielder plans to leave for free in 2026, as Frenkie has not responded to their now-expired offer for months. Therefore, if they are set to lose him for free in a year, the Blaugranes could offer him a letter of freedom next summer to minimize their losses with the Dutch midfielder.
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BARCELONA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 03: Hansi Flick, Head Coach of FC Barcelona, gestures during the La Liga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on November 03, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
Picture shows FC Barcelona's badge displayed on a wall of the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on March 13, 2015.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 23: Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD3 match between FC Barcelona and FC Bayern Munchen at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on October 23, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.