Barcelona’s FC Barcelona begins to acknowledge that a significant player will depart for free in January.

SPORT has reported that FC Barcelona is increasingly convinced that midfielder Frenkie de Jong is intentionally postponing contract renewal negotiations in order to quit the club for free. The report was based on anonymous sources and was published by Catalunya Radio.

Former president Josep Bartomeu considered the signing of De Jong from Ajax in 2019 to be a significant success. Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, their continental rivals, were also interested in the winner of the best midfielder award in the Champions League.

This was due to the remarkable 2018/2019 campaign, during which his former Dutch employers made an unlikely run to the semi-finals of the competition. However, Bartomeu was able to convince the number 21 player that the most optimal environment for his growth would be in Catalonia, where the 27-year-old has remained ever since. The situation has not been as anticipated, as

De Jong has arguably not reached his full potential, and Barcelona has only achieved one La Liga title and failed to advance beyond the UCL quarterfinals during his tenure as a Blaugrana player. In 2022, he was frequently associated with a potential reconciliation with former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag and a transfer to Manchester United.

It is not advisable for a club that has faced significant financial difficulties in recent years to lose a player it paid $75 million (€70 million) to acquire for free.

Consequently, if De Jong does not renew, the summer transfer window of 2025 will be the final opportunity for Barca to recoup some of the money and sell him to an interested party. On Bartomeu’s watch, De Jong restructured his contract during the pandemic and consented to postpone the payment that is currently due to him this season. Deco, the Sporting Director, proposed a long-term extension to

De Jong in order to distribute his back pay, but he has not yet received a response. Although there have been meetings with his entourage, the club now reportedly believes that De Jong’s camp “doesn’t have much intention to move forward.” This could result in him receiving a frigid reception from Culers, as was observed during his introduction prior to the Joan Gamper Trophy match in August.