Midfielder Frenkie de Jong looks set to stay at Barcelona for several more years, although just six months ago it seemed like his exit was almost certain. The Dutch player has clearly improved his efforts on the pitch, but Barcelona’s inverted attitude is due to more than just that, according to the latest news from Catalonia.
De Jong has become a regular starter under Hansi Flick, and previous reports have claimed that the German coach told the club to keep the 27-year-old, as he sees great potential in him in midfield. There is no doubt that Flick has had a huge impact on de Jong’s future, both on and off the pitch.
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According to Sport, Barcelona had no doubts about his quality, but the biggest problem was his salary and the cost of keeping him. Now, with de Jong seeing positive changes at the club off the pitch and asking his agent to find a solution with Barcelona, no other outcome than a deal is expected. The contact between Deco and Ali Dursun (de Jong’s agent) is described as “fluid”, and the fact that de Jong is willing to make financial concessions to stay has been crucial to the sporting director’s inverse attitude.
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It adds that Barcelona also believe de Jong is important to their style of play, but his change of attitude off the pitch has been just as crucial as the improvements on the pitch to turn the course of his future.
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This is a clear break with the previous discussion around de Jong. The financial burden of his salary was always mentioned as a factor, but before he returned from his ankle injury, there was a lot of reporting that pointed to de Jong’s inability to dominate games consistently was also a reason why the club considered selling him.
Now, however, it seems that both the player and the club are ready for a long-term collaboration.
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In addition, Barcelona are among the last four in the Champions League and they lead La Liga with four points.
