Barcelona captain’s renewal becomes a point of contention as Laporta sets strict red line | OneFootball

Following the announcement of Ronald Araujo’s contract extension, the focus at Barcelona has shifted to Frenkie de Jong.

The Dutch midfielder’s contract at Camp Nou expires in the summer of 2026, meaning next summer could be the only time Barcelona may have a chance of yielding something out of his sale.

That is, of course, provided de Jong does not renew his contract in Catalonia, thereby realising Barcelona’s worst fear.

Negotiations at a standstill

According to a fresh report from SPORT, Barcelona’s negotiations with de Jong have not advanced at all.

The two parties are not on the same page at all, and de Jong’s entourage, in particular, has shown no indication or desire to renew the existing contract.

What’s next for Frenkie de Jong? (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)

Barcelona’s plan with de Jong’s contract extension is to lower the player’s wages while giving the club some form of leverage, which they can utilise when selling the midfielder.

But it appears de Jong still remains at odds with the Barça management and it will be surprising to see anything changing anytime soon.

Laporta not crossing the red line

The report adds that Barcelona president Joan Laporta has set a strict red line: No player can train next summer with a contract that expires in the same season.

There are players such as Eric Garcia, Pablo Torre and Inaki Pena, who might face such a situation. But their contract scenario is not nearly as complicated as de Jong.

Keeping that in mind, Barça may have a decision to make in the near future – either terminate the contract of de Jong and relieve the club of his high salary or hope that the midfielder changes his mind and unexpectedly signs a contract.

The report does indicate that de Jong has finally overcome the physical challenges he was facing since returning from injury. Whether or not that will help him re-establish himself as a Barcelona regular remains to be seen.