Posted: 09:09, July 5, 2022 | Updated: 09:13, 5 July 2022
Barcelona will reportedly have to sell Frenkie de Jong this summer due to the huge sums they will have to pay him over the next four years of his current contract with the club. Speculation is swirling around the Dutchman’s future this summer, with Manchester United having agreed a deal in principle with the Spanish giants. At one stage it appeared that the move was going to be formal. However, Barcelona president Joan Laporta last week threw a wrench in the works by saying the Catalan club had “no intention” of selling De Jong this summer. Barcelona are said to owe Dutchman Frenkie de Jong around £75m over the next four years Despite Laporta’s optimism about the midfielder’s future, a report in Spanish outlet Marca outlines why Barcelona want to sell the player. According to the Madrid-based newspaper, if De Jong sees out the remaining four years of his current deal, Barcelona owe the player £75m over the next few years. The report states that the reason this figure seems so astronomical is due to the huge financial deal the club initially awarded the midfielder with in 2019. This is believed to be around £12m per year. It is suggested that this means Barcelona feel they have to sell the player to Manchester United Joan Laporta said the club wanted to keep hold of Frenkie de Jong this summer – a statement many found strange Due to the pandemic and the obvious problems that football clubs, but Barcelona in particular, suffered during this period means that they postponed the payments to De Jong to be paid after the event, when their financial footing was more secure. De Jong is said to have taken a significant pay cut during the pandemic-affected seasons, with it dropping from £12m to £2.5m in 2021-22 and then to £7.75m last season. It is reported that De Jong’s fixed salary could be doubled by next season. Marca suggest that if he was paid £7.75m last season, due to his deferred payments, this could rise to around £15m next season. Then, they say, he will also be owed £2.5m in bonuses. Next season, 2023-24, his wages will increase even more. The Spanish publication says De Jong’s salary for that year, in total, could reach £23m. These figures are all before what Marca refers to as “variables”. These are paid to the Dutchman once he meets certain conditions or the club wins titles or even once they reach the Champions League final. Barcelona were finally able to sign midfielder Franck Kessie this summer after a long wait These added variables could amount to around £6.8m, or £1.7m a year over four years. Barcelona’s financial difficulties are no secret in the world of football and the club must sell or offload players to ensure they can bring in others this summer. The club have already sold 10% of their TV rights for the next 25 years in a bid to boost coffers this summer, having been unable to sign free transfer signings Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie for a number. weeks. Manchester United are the frontrunners for De Jong after making him their top summer target.
