With just a few days remaining until the summer transfer window comes to a close, it appears Barcelona are closing in on finalising their squad.
One of the players who was heavily linked with a move away from Camp Nou this summer was Frenkie de Jong. But the Dutchman is now set to remain at the club, even under immense pressure to leave the club.
A recent report from Diario SPORT has offered an update on de Jong’s situation at the club. It suggests the midfielder has given his agents the green light to negotiate a new deal with Barcelona, in an attempt to remain at Camp Nou.
De Jong understands his lucrative contract is proving to be an obstacle for Barça, who have an inflated wage budget and desperate need to free up their funds in order to sign new players.
As such, Barcelona must agree new terms with de Jong if they are to keep him at the club. The player, therefore, has to agree to a substantial pay cut that would help Barça balance the books.
While de Jong was reluctant to begin negotiations over new terms earlier in the summer, it appears the midfielder has changed his stance and is unwilling to negotiate a new deal with Barcelona that could see him lower his salary demands, in order to remain at Camp Nou.
Barça, for their part, do rate the midfielder highly, particularly due to his technical prowess. And with Bernardo Silva set to remain at Etihad, they may have no option but to persist with the Dutch international.
The next few months could be make or break for de Jong if he truly wants to build a legacy at Camp Nou and eventually become the long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets.
