De Jong signs a renewal that seemed unimaginable

BarcelonaIf Frenkie de Jong has a great supporter at Barça, it's Joan Laporta. The Barça president often explains, in close circles, that the Dutch midfielder "sets the style" and that's why it's best for him to stay at Barcelona. Just as, according to reports in the offices, he was the one who stopped his departure three summers ago, Laporta accompanied De Jong this Wednesday at the player's contract renewal ceremony, which will see him remain at Barça until 2029. "I want to win titles, that's why I renewed," he declared.

De Jong's time at Barça, where he is one of the captains, has been anything but a bed of roses. He was signed by former president Bartomeu in 2019, on a lightning trip to Amsterdam to finalize the deal and thwart interest from other teams. It was rumored at the time that 75 million had been paid for the player, although the final figure was much higher. The price tag and his annual salary—he is one of the highest paid on the team—have been two burdens for De Jong, who has received much external criticism accusing him of not being a differential star. "I surround myself with people who support me, like my family. What people say, I don't care. That's how I've managed to be quite emotionally stable," he explained at the event.

But the external view has nothing to do with the internal one. De Jong has been a regular starter under every manager he's had at Barça: Valverde, Setién, Koeman, Xavi, and, finally, Flick, whom he thanked directly for his "trust." They've all praised him and highlighted his footballing prowess. So have his teammates. Marc Bernal, in the interview at the ARA, said he was the player who "had surprised him the most" and highlighted his "technique, speed and the fact that he doesn't lose any balls", and one of the new arrivals, Marcus Rashford, went so far as to say that he was the most "underrated" in the squad.

However, De Jong has been the one who has been the brunt of the blows and has even received whistles from a Camp Nou that criticized his passivity. His professionalism was even questioned when his medical leave was extended due to ankle discomfort that he couldn't seem to clean. But the moment of least popularity was in August 2022., when the club organized a meeting with journalists to discuss his case.

De Jong's salary at Barça, a historic burden

It turns out that De Jong was one of the four players who agreed to take a pay cut in 2020, during the pandemic, just weeks before Bartomeu resigned. In reality, he didn't give anything away; he deferred his salary. In return, he received a contract extension and guaranteed much more money in the future. In 2022, with Laporta now president, Mateu Alemany was in the technical secretariatAlemán threw his hands up in horror at his salary and let the club know that it was "at least 200%" above the actual market value. But since he was a player with international acclaim, Mateu Alemany saw a business opportunity: getting a juicy transfer fee while also freeing up a lot of salary. The Dutchman didn't accept it.

In desperation, the club looked for a third way and leaked that, in the fall of 2020, the renewal of the four players would have committed Barça to paying 311 million in salaries. They also said that legal services had studied it, considered it a possible crime, and were determined to go to court to undo those agreements. When De Jong's representatives found out, they considered it bullying and threatened to report Barça to FIFA. The club backed down and ruled out legal action. However, Mateu Alemany continued to pull strings to sell him in England, although the deal was ultimately scrapped—according to sources in the club's offices—because Laporta considered him untransferable.

De Jong got angry when accused of being a money-grubber. And he still does: "I won't say what I'm going to earn with the new contract. It was greatly exaggerated when people talked about how much I was paid. The real figures have never been released. It was said that I was the highest-paid player in Europe, and that has influenced how people viewed me. It's your fault," he said, referring to journalists. At the time, it was reported that Frenkie had earned 42 million gross per season (including fixed salary plus deferrals). He said, and continues to say, that it's a lie. And that he wasn't staying for the money, but because "it was a dream" to play for Barça. But his contract ended in 2026, and until recently, he wasn't sure whether to stay or not. He had even considered leaving for free. Finally, thanks to Barça's good season in the 2024-25 season, he changed his mind. "Now he believes there's a winning generation and he wants to continue. He's aiming for the Champions League and believes that with Lamine, Pedri, and company, he can win it," say those close to him.

Despite his desire to stay and Barça—especially Laporta—wanting him to stay, the renewal hasn't been easy. First, he parted ways with his longtime agent, Ali Dursun. Then, he dodged the siren calls to sign with Pini Zahavi, Laporta's former partner. Finally, he partnered with a Dutch law firm. Then, the duration of the contract, three years. And finally, the salary, which will be around 20 million euros gross per year. Barça will use the agreement to reduce their payroll slightly, since the remaining season of his contract will be spread over the three additional years.