Picture Credit: FC Barcelona
Spanish club Barcelona has informed Frenkie de Jong that they have a case to push him to the deal he was on before his extension, as reported by David Ornstein. The Catalans have allegedly claimed that the terms given to De Jong by the previous board were based on criminality and provided grounds for legal action against all involved parties.
Barcelona is functioning amidst a financial crisis, especially with the Frenkie de Jong transfer saga. The club either need to sell the highly-rated midfielder for a substantial fee or reach an agreement with him over his deferred wages for helping them with the club’s mismanaged finances. So far, the Dutchman has shown neither an interest to take a pay cut nor a readiness to leave the club.
According to reports, Barca had held talks with the 25-year-old midfielder over the legal complication on 15 July. The Blaugrana claimed that they had found evidence of criminal actions on behalf of the individuals who worked on Frenkie De Jong’s renewal on October 20, 2020.
With the extended contract, Frenkie de Jong stays in Barcelona for two seasons. He would have a reduced salary for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons and the €18 million from those two years will be paid in deferred wages across the four following seasons.
De Jong’s deal was announced with three other players - Gerard Pique, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Clement Lenglet as this remained one of the final decisions taken by the then president Josep Bartomeu before he and the entire board of directors stepped down from their posts.
But despite these off-field mishaps, Barcelona is playing extremely well in their preseason as they defeated Pumas UNAM 6-0 in the Joan Gamper Trophy. Barca manager Xavi Hernandez praised his team and talked about the team’s squad depth.
He said, “Overall, we had a good pre-season. It was dynamic, with good football, and good results. The sensations are very good. I have many options and it will be difficult to decide on the starting XI, but this is a good thing. Competition makes everyone better.”