A contract issue caused a deal for Frenkie de Jong to leave Barcelona in the summer and join Chelsea or Manchester United to fall through.
Frenkie de Jong attacks the Barcelona board while promoting a transfer to Chelsea.
Frenkie de Jong, a former target of Chelsea, has accused the Barcelona board of leaking information about his contract over the summer. In the summer, as the Spanish powerhouses sought to find a solution to their financial problems, the 25-year-old midfielder was heavily linked with a transfer to the Premier League.
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Be aware that Chelsea has been interested in the Netherlands international for a few years, and despite having been confident in signing him in the past, a transfer away from the Camp Nou fell through. The Dutchman reportedly held negotiations with the Blues about a prospective transfer to Stamford Bridge as former manager Thomas Tuchel sought to strengthen his midfield with more inventiveness.
The pay dispute between the player and the club, which De Jong is involved in with Barcelona and whose contract expires in 2026, was a major contributing cause to the rumors that he would leave. The Telegraph claims that as of July, the Catalan side owed him £17 million in pandemic-related deferred wages.
Prior to the Netherlands’ World Cup opening against Senegal, the midfielder criticized a “campaign with lots of misinformation” in an interview with De Telegraaf. Several Spanish media sites said that De Jong was unwilling to accept a pay reduction in order to assist Barcelona in resolving their financial problems.
Nevertheless, he claimed that he is content in Barcelona despite the drama. De Jong declared, “I am delighted to be in Barcelona. When I perform, it’s fantastic, and life here is wonderful. I intend to stay in Barcelona as long as I can. Personally, I’d like to live another eight to ten years.
He continued, “One day, information from my contract was published in a paper. “I didn’t release it, and only one other party was aware of it, therefore the club must have been the one to do it. Unexpectedly, a letter appeared asking if my contract, which was made by the former president, was still in effect.
“Although I found the club doing this to be quite bothersome, I was unable to stop it. I don’t have anything to do with these guys [those at Barca who wanted him gone], but I blame them. They do represent Barcelona to me because they run the team. But when I’m at the club, I don’t see them. I don’t interact with them on a daily basis.
With an assist for Cody Gakpo in the Netherlands’ 2-0 victory in their World Cup opener, De Jong shone for Louis van Gaal’s team. Now that the Oranje will play Ecuador on Friday afternoon, the Barcelona star will try to keep up his impressive run.