Truths and lies about the De Jong case

ANDLast Tuesday, ahead of Barcelona’s important match against Naples, Frenkie de Jong surprised everyone with his words at a press conference against the media. “Why are you lying, aren’t you ashamed?” – said the Dutchman in the first minutes of his speech. I wanted to post it after a lot of information that has come out in recent days. Kounde supported him in other statements after the match in Naples: “Yes, the press lies.”

And he’s right. Much has been said about De Jong for a long time, especially since the club began considering him two years ago. idea of ​​possible sale, and some of them are not true, especially when it comes to his salary. Let’s look at the questions a fan is asking:

Is it true that De Jong earns 40 million a year as published?

Not true. In no season has the player even come close to this amount. For this season and next, De Jong has a fixed salary of 18/19 million gross per year plus variables for games played and titles won. His contract also includes some bonuses that he receives in certain seasons. One of them, the largest of all, is nine million.

Did De Jong take advantage of Barcelona’s poor economic situation to get a better contract?

The first thing De Jong did was to delay part of his transfer, as Josep Maria Bartomeu requested at the time. That is, a service to Barça. And it was a significant reduction. Then his salary was 12 million annually. In one season he earned only three, and in the next nine. The 12 million he set aside – a very significant amount – was collected in the last two seasons of his previous contract. Bartomeu then extended it for another two years, during which his record increased from 12 to 18.

Is it true that Barcelona wanted to sell De Jong in previous markets?

Yes, the Sports Authority considered this idea. The club’s financial problems were enormous and the costs incurred by De Jong in signing him, deferments, bonuses and depreciation were among the highest in the team. However, in the end the sale did not take place due to the direct intervention of the president.

Do you want to sell Barcelona to De Jong right now?

At first no. Barcelona wants to extend its agreement for three more seasons, until 2029, and that is why it has made an official extension offer. An offer that does not improve the players’ current earnings because they believe they are within what the market dictates. But they are also clear that if he does not renew his contract, the ideal would be a sale that would free up Kühle’s coffers and, above all, that 2026 will not come and the player will leave for free.

How did De Jong react to the contract extension offer?

Until now, and although it was submitted before the Christmas holidays, there has been no response.

Why didn’t De Jong respond?

First of all, because it is your right. And given that his contract expires in more than two years, he has time, although he must communicate this, and he did not do so, although he was asked about this extension offer at his last press conference.

Does De Jong want to leave or stay?

“I’m very happy at Barça, it’s my dream club and I hope to continue playing here for many years to come,” De Jong himself said at a press conference last Tuesday. There’s no reason not to believe him. So it seems clear that he wants to continue with the club.