The continuity of Frenkie de Jong at FC Barcelona has shifted from being in doubt to being a more than real possibility. The player continues his path of performance in the first team, and after surpassing Marc Casadó in midfield, his renewal with the club is starting to get closer.
In fact, the newspaper 'SPORT' reported that last Tuesday his representative, Ali Dursun, had an informal meeting with Deco, the club's sporting director, in the Catalan capital to continue finding common ground. The meeting was brief and served as a prelude to the negotiations to extend the player's contract, which are expected to take place in March or April.
The relationship between both parties is fluid and the Dutch player's priority would be to extend his commitment to Barça. The midfielder is happy in the team led by Hansi Flick and in the city, and although several months ago it seemed he had one foot out of Spotify Camp Nou, the situation has taken a radical turn once the player earned the trust of the German coach and the agreement with the institution, although it still needs to be 'cooked', is getting closer.
Barça and Frenkie prefer to wait to finalize the agreement
The 'meeting' between Deco and Dursun was important to confirm the good feelings between both sides of the operation. Frenkie is happy with his role in a Flick team that holds him in high regard, while the Catalans are more than satisfied with the player's recent performance, who has rediscovered his best version in 2025. However, both parties believe it is still too early to accelerate the conversations and prefer to wait until the season is more advanced to make a decision.
If the midfielder continues to have a leading role under the German's orders, his renewal would be practically a done deal, as long as the Dutchman makes a financial effort to adjust to the club's new reality. And this is where the main obstacle of the operation lies, since the idea of Barça would be for the '21' to redistribute part of the deferred payments that he is to receive next season in a four-year contract while maintaining his base salary.
De Jong has never been convinced by this formula, but he is aware that it would be a great help for the salary cap of the squad. If this 'hurdle' is resolved, the player's signing for his new commitment would just be a matter of time, as his return to the starting lineup and the winning sports project being built with Flick at the helm have tipped the scales in favor of the Dutchman's stay at Spotify Camp Nou.