With the year 2024 soon coming to a close, Barcelona have started their preparations for the upcoming January transfer window.
However, the club are unlikely to make any moves in the transfer market, as pointed out by Alfredo Martinez.
Instead, Barça are likely to spend time trying to renew the contracts of star players, with the club already making some solid ground, in their bid to renew the deals for Pedri and Gavi.
Barcelona’s next objective is to try and tie Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong down to long-term contracts, as both their deals expire in 2026.
Laporta keen on extending de Jong
De Jong, in particular, has been a curious case at Barcelona. The Dutchman has not performed well at all since returning from injury, even becoming a scapegoat in the midst of the club’s poor form.
But Hansi Flick remains a huge fan of the former Ajax starlet due to the quality he offers to the table.
What’s next for de Jong’s future at Barcelona? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
As per Martinez, it appears Joan Laporta, too, could be useful for de Jong despite the player’s recent form.
Laporta’s idea is to renew the contract of de Jong beyond 2026 so that he can continue serving the club for the foreseeable future.
With several hundred for the club, de Jong does bring the experience to an otherwise young Barcelona midfield. His leadership and experience, therefore, could be vital in the years to come.
However, a bigger reason for Barcelona could be that de Jong is simply too valuable and the club would not like to allow other clubs to try and sign the player for a free transfer.
This is especially relevant considering the Dutchman’s deal at the club expires in 2026. A contract renewal, therefore, could offer Barça some much-needed leverage.
Fortunately for Barça, it appears de Jong himself is now keen on extending his contract at the club, despite his seemingly fractured relationship with the club bosses.
*Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.