One of the surprises this campaign has been the resurgence of Frenkie de Jong, who was expected not to be utilised by Hansi Flick.
However, since returning from the winter break, the Dutchman has massively impressed, even starting and scoring a goal in Barcelona’s most recent win.
“I feel good now after the Christmas break. I’m 100% and I have to prove that I have to play. I feel very good after having scored and especially for the victory,” De Jong said after Barca’s victory versus Valencia.
With these impressive performances and more game time, Mundo Deportivo have reported that De Jong has made the decision he would like to stay at the club, despite his contract ending in 2026.
The 27-year-old has declined recent contract offers from the Blaugrana and it was expected he would just run down his deal and leave for free.
However, the report claims that the Netherlands international has already told the dressing room his plans to stay.
If the midfielder does want to stay then he will surely have to reduce his salary, as he is reportedly on €365k per week.
There is also another caveat, as Barcelona’s President, Joan Laporta, has made it clear that any player who is in the final 12 months of his deal at the end of the season will not be playing for the first team in the 2025/26 campaign.
It is claimed that De Jong is willing to take that risk. However, Barca’s main priority seems to be sorting out the wage structure and regardless of how good he is, if he does not want to decrease his salary by a significant amount then it will be unlikely he stays in Catalonia.
