A fresh insight into the ongoing transfer saga surrounding Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong has been provided on Sunday afternoon.
The name of Dutch international De Jong, of course, took its place centre stage in the headlines across the European media once more a little over 24 hours ago.
Recent weeks, of course, have seen it widely speculated that the midfielder was inching ever closer to a move to the Premier League with Manchester United, primed to reunite with ex-Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.
In turn, it came as nothing short of a shock when Barcelona president Joan Laporta revealed that he and the transfer team at the Camp Nou ‘have no intention of selling him’.
Not only that, but it was reiterated that FdJ himself ‘wants to stay’, with the club therefore ready to do whatever it takes to keep hold of a player evidently deemed as key to Xavi Hernandez’s project moving forward.
Barça president Laporta on de Jong: “There are many clubs that want him, not just Man United. We have no intention of selling him, he wants to stay”. ? #FCB
“I’m going to do everything to keep Frenkie, but there’s also a salary issue and that would have to be adjusted”. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/zG4mmo6Rfj
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 2, 2022
And now, as alluded to above, an insight into precisely what would be required on the part of De Jong himself to remain a Barcelona player has been forthcoming.
The info comes courtesy of Luis Rojo of Spanish outlet Marca.
Rojo reports that, to ward off the advances of Manchester United, the 25-year-old will need to accept his wages being ‘substantially lowered’.
De Jong is understood to earn €10 million-per-year net at Barca as part of his current contract.
Should the Dutchman not agree to such terms, Laporta and co. are said to be ready to sanction his sale over the coming weeks, for a fee of €65 million, plus €20 million in bonuses.
El Barça está dispuesto a que Frenkie de Jong siga, pero sólo si se rebaja sustancialmente el sueldo. Cobra 10M netos. Si no, se irá al United. Conversaciones entre clubes muy avanzadas (65M+20).
— luis rojo (@Luis_F_Rojo) July 3, 2022
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