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The Dutch international has one year left in his current deal and remains one of the top earners of the club at present, following a salary hike during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frenkie de Jong. (X)
Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco has defended Frenkie de Jong, who has faced much criticism for his salary over the past few seasons. De Jong, who joined the Catalan giants in 2019, recently secured a Spanish treble of La Liga, Supercopa de España and Copa del Rey as part of Hansi Flick’s side. Barcelona remain hopeful about keeping De Jong at the club for a few more seasons. The Netherlands international still has one year left in his current deal. He remains one of the top earners of the club at present, following a salary hike during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier, various rumours claimed that Barcelona would put De Jong up for sale due to his high wage bill. Days after their La Liga triumph, Deco came forward to show his support for the Dutchman, making it clear that the club wants the player to continue.
“We have to stop talking about the past. De Jong isn’t to blame for earning what he earns. He’s taken a step up to the level we expect as a club, but the most important thing is his commitment. He’s involved,” Deco told RAC1.
“Regarding Frenkie, for me, they haven’t treated him fairly. People don’t understand the contract, but it’s not a topic to discuss because it’s disrespectful to the players. De Jong is a player we want for the future, and if we can reach an agreement, we will. For now, we haven’t entered into a direct agreement. We haven’t yet discussed terms,” he explained further.
As of now, Barcelona prioritises renewing De Jong’s contract, with club president Joan Laporta calling it an “urgent situation” considering the expiry date.
“Frenkie is urgent because he has one year left on his contract, and we don’t want players in that situation. De Jong defines our style. There have been professional circumstances for two months now because De Jong wants to stay. We’ve talked about it and agreed on it. We want him to stay, and he must be key to this project,” Laporta said to TV3.
Having already been crowned the Spanish champions, Barcelona are now gearing up for their final LaLiga assignment of the season. They will face Athletic Club away from home on May 26.
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