The Future of Frenkie de Jong: Arabia or Barcelona? The Decision is Approaching

The future of Frenkie de Jong continues to strongly point towards Arab football. Although the midfielder has no intentions of leaving FC Barcelona this year, one of the 'heavyweights' of the Saudi league will go after him again in the upcoming summer market. Meanwhile, the Barcelona board awaits a response regarding the renewal offer that the club has recently updated.

According to 'El Nacional', Al-Ittihad, which already has Karim Benzema, Danilo Pereira, and Moussa Diaby in its ranks, would be willing to put 40 million euros net for the player from Arkel. Additionally, the 'tiger-striped' team would offer the '21' from Barcelona a very high salary, close to 15 'kilos' net per season. For Barcelona, the idea is to renew him this year while keeping his annual salary intact, with a gross salary of 19M €.

The Sale of Frenkie de Jong, a Favorable Operation for Barcelona

However, the idea of cashing in on De Jong's transfer also appeals to Barcelona, especially if the midfielder continues to delay his renewal. Joan Laporta has made it clear that all players whose contracts expire in 2026 must define their continuity before the opening of the next transfer window. Otherwise, they will be put up for sale, awaiting an offer that satisfies the club's interests.

If the alleged figure with which Al-Ittihad would try to sign Frenkie approaches the minimum set by the club to let the Dutchman go (45 'kilos'), understanding the robustness of the Arab market, it is likely that Deco would seek to extract the highest possible amount, raising the transfer, perhaps, to 50M €. For Barcelona, this amount would allow them to amortize the signing of a left winger, currently the main priority regarding reinforcements for the 2025/26 season.

Barcelona Does Not Intend to Delay the Resolution of De Jong's Future

Meanwhile, De Jong remains focused on closing the season with as many minutes as possible. The '21' has temporarily won the battle against Marc Casadó for a spot in the XI, thanks to his good performances in La Liga and Champions. In that sense, Hansi Flick would prefer to keep the Dutch player, as his absence could force the club to look for another defensive pivot, although the confidence in Casadó and Marc Bernal is total.

In any case, this is a case that the Barcelona board does not intend to prolong too much. Barcelona resolved this week the extension of Iñigo Martínez's contract thanks to the money received from the sale of Vitor Roque. The next step will be to sign the new contract for Lamine Yamal, and then Frenkie and Szczesny are the only contracts pending renewal, along with Iñaki Peña's.