If Frenkie de Jong follows the call to return home to Ajax next year, the finance department in Barcelona will hit the pin. At the moment, he tops the payroll in Europe with a whopping £600,000 a week.- A salary he will never get back even if he were to travel to Saudi Arabia.
Barcelona tried again to sell in the summer, but even at a discount, no one wanted to take over the gigantic salary.
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Frenkie de Jong has finally fought his way back to full form after a miserable series of injury setbacks that seemed to bring his La Blaugrana career to an end.
The former Ajax player has started playing again for Barcelona in recent weeks and he was given a call-up to the La Oranje squad for November’s two UEFA Nations League matches. He started a first Dutch game in 14 months in the midweek win over Hungary, but his future remains unclear.
Marco van Basten has called for the focus on De Jong to be reduced in order to allow the 27-year-old to return to the top level at his own pace.
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However, another Dutch legend has gone a step further, with former Real Madrid star Rafael van der Vaart claiming that he would be best served by a return to Ajax, if Barcelona facilitate a sale in the coming months.
“He had a great game against Hungary, but he can and must do better. He has achieved a lot, but now he has to stay in shape,” according to quotes from Diario AS.
“He is a fantastic player who will be of great benefit to the Dutch team. If it was up to me, I would tell him to go home (to Ajax). He doesn’t need any more trips.”
De Jong is expected to retain his starting spot for the Dutch final match of 2024 when they face Bosnia and Herzegovina on November 19.
