Barcelona set date for Frenkie de Jong contract negotiations | OneFootball

Over the last couple of months, Frenkie de Jong has managed to turn his fortunes around at Barcelona – to the point that he is now a regular starter for head coach Hansi Flick, who had previously relied upon Marc Casado. This has not only benefitted him on the pitch, but his chances of staying at the club long-term have also increased significantly.

It is no secret that there has been problems between Barcelona and de Jong in recent years, relating to his contract. The club has been trying to reduce his salary in order to ease their financial burdens, but until now, there has been little success in this department, and this has led to strong speculation about a possible departure.

De Jong’s current deal, which sees him as one of the highest earners at the club, runs out at the end of next season, and earlier in the campaign, he snubbed a proposal that Barcelona had put on the table. At that stage, negotiations were at an all-time low, but things are looking promising now.

Hansi Flick has played a big part in de Jong’s situation changing (Photo by FC Barcelona)

It has been reported that de Jong is now willing to sign a new contract, and Barcelona will make an offer if he continues to impress over the coming weeks. In fact, sporting director Deco is already laying the groundwork for negotiations, as he met with the Dutchman’s agent on Tuesday, as per Jijantes (via Sport).

Deco has been described as having an “informal meeting” with Ali Dursun, de Jong’s agent. It is not clear what was discussed, but the report states that the idea with the 27-year-old is for talks over a new contract to begin in the spring, meaning that the beginning of the process is still a few weeks away. Nevertheless, there is confidence for an amicable agreement on this matter.