Frenkie de Jong handed new Barcelona contract offer amid Arsenal interest | OneFootball

Barcelona have reportedly reignited contract talks with midfielder Frenkie de Jong in the hope of convincing him to reject interest from Arsenal.

De Jong's future has been the subject of speculation for years and it seemed as though a departure was on the cards when Barcelona withdrew their offer of a new contract earlier this season after the Dutchman did not respond to their proposal.

Since then, however, De Jong has returned from injury and taken a prominent role in Hansi Flick's squad, so much so that the new manager urged those calling the shots to ensure De Jong does not leave the club this summer.

With De Jong himself now keen on a new deal, the process appears to have restarted and SPORT state Barcelona sporting director Deco has reached out with a fresh offer.

Deco met with De Jong's agent last month and proposed a three-year contract with annual earnings of between €18m-€19m (£15.1m-£16m) - similar to his current salary.

Crucially, however, the deal would see De Jong give up the remainder of the wages owed to him when he deferred his salary all the way back in October 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Barcelona are hopeful of a positive resolution with De Jong, who is said to have been approached by Arsenal over what could be a cut-price deal this summer, when his existing contract will have just 12 months to run. The Spanish side have made it clear that any player who enters the final year of their contract will be made available for transfer.

The hope is that things do not reach such a drastic point. De Jong is thought to be keen to remain with Barcelona and the chance to extend into his 30s is likely to appeal to him.