Barcelona may have some trouble brewing in the future, as midfielder Frenkie De Jong appears no closer to signing a new contract.
The Dutchman still has three years left to run on his deal, but Barcelona would like to tie him down long-term, especially given the strong transfer interest in him over the years.
The 26-year-old was sensational for Barcelona last season, and has established himself as one of the best players in Spain.
On his Daily Briefing, Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Barcelona need to sort their financial fair play issues before they can offer De Jong a new contract.
“Despite reports, my understanding is that there is nothing happening right now on a new contract for Frenkie de Jong,” he claimed.
“His contract will be a topic for Barcelona in the next months but it’s not something imminent, Barca have to fix different situations with Financial Fair Play first, so it’s going to take some time.”
How important is De Jong for Barcelona?
De Jong had a difficult time when he initially arrived from Ajax in 2019, but under Xavi he has blossomed into a world-class midfielder.
Xavi has described him as “extraordinary,” and he is now a main starter in the midfield alongside Oriol Romeu and Ilkay Gundogan.
De Jong seems happy at Barcelona by all accounts, and when Barcelona are able to offer him a new deal, it seems likely that he will happily sign a long-term extension, following Xavi, Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde in committing their futures to the club.
It will take some time before there is any movement in this regard, and it seems highly unlikely that he will push for a move, but a new contract for De Jong should be a priority given his importance to the team, and the potential for him to be a starter for years to come.