Barcelona have sent a clear message to Frenkie de Jong about his future amid interest from Arsenal, according to a source in Spain, as TEAMtalk analyses whether the midfielder could leave the Blaugrana for the Gunners in the January transfer window.
De Jong is one of the best midfielders in the world and is out of contract at Barcelona at the end of the season. Described as “a world-class player” by his former Barcelona manager Xavi in February 2024, De Jong has won LaLiga twice and the Copa del Rey on two occasions with the Spanish and European giants so far in his career and, at the age of 28, is at the top of his game.
Arsenal have taken a shine to De Jong, with a Spanish report in August claiming that the Premier League club plan to sign the Netherlands international next summer when he becomes a free agent.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta is said to be ‘a big fan’ of De Jong and believes that the Dutchman would be ‘an ideal addition’ to the team.
Arsenal are well stocked in the midfield department, having signed Martíin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard in the summer transfer window, but apparently, the Premier League club are on the hunt for more midfielders.
Fichajes has now brought an update on De Jong’s situation, which will be of huge interest to Arsenal.
The Spanish news outlet has reported that Barcelona have given a ‘new ultimatum’ to De Jong.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has told De Jong that if he does not sign a new contract before January, then the defending Spanish champions will sell him in the middle of the season instead of losing him on a free next summer.
The report has claimed that De Jong’s ‘final decision is imminent’, adding that potential interest from the Saudi Pro League and the emergence of players such as Marc Bernal and Marc Casado could influence what he eventually decides.
This follows Sport’s report on September 5 that Barcelona plan to resume talks with De Jong’s entourage over a new deal after the two-week international break.
After parting company with Ali Dursun, De Jong has brought in a new team, who held an initial meeting with Barcelona sporting director Deco to introduce themselves without any formal talks taking place.
De Jong wants to stay at Barcelona and last season’s LaLiga champions are eager to keep him, but the sticking point is the terms of the new deal.
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Could Frenkie de Jong leave Barcelona for Arsenal in January?
Fichajes is not one of the most reliable news outlets, so the claim that Barcelona have made an ‘ultimatum’ to Frenkie de Jong must be taken with a pinch of salt.
However, with the Dutchman out of contract at the end of the season, it would be remiss to think that Barcelona are not getting anxious about his future.
De Jong cost Barcelona a total of €75million (£65m, $88m) (including add-ons) when they signed him from Ajax back in 2019.
Losing the Dutchman for free next summer would be terrible business, so one would understand if Barcelona were keen on selling him in the middle of the season and getting some transfer fee.
However, just because Barcelona want to sell De Jong does not mean that he will go.
For the Netherlands international midfielder, the best course of action would be to wait until the end of the season and then leave Barcelona on a free transfer.
Not only would De Jong have more options, but the 28-year-old would also be able to negotiate a better contract.
The worst that Barcelona could do is send De Jong to the stands if he does not sign a new deal by the end of the January transfer window, but it is hard to imagine manager Hansi Flick sanctioning such a move.
Barcelona are aiming to win LaLiga and the Champions League this season, and the importance of De Jong in that quest cannot be understated.
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