FC Barcelona Threatens Legal Action Against Frenkie De Jong
The Frenkie De Jong transfer story involving Barcelona this summer is really incredible. Barcelona has asked Frenkie de Jong to void his current contract and return to his prior agreement, claiming that the terms the former board of the club gave him contained criminal activity.
Who is Frenkie De Jong?
Frenkie de Jong was born in the Netherlands on May 12, 1997. He is a brilliant midfielder for La Liga Team Barcelona and the Netherlands National Team.
He is also a dynamic midfielder, good at passing, dribbling, vision, defensive play, and offensive skill. Due to his exceptional skills, De Jong has often been listed as one of the top midfielders in the world of soccer.
During the 2021–22 season, De Jong once again played a key role for Barcelona, making 46 appearances across all leagues and providing four goals and five assists.
Since joining from Ajax in 2019, he has made 139 appearances for the Catalan team, with 13 goals and 17 assists.
Frenkie De Jong Transfer Story
De Jong, who Transfermarkt estimates to be worth £54 million, received a massive two-year extension from former Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu, which is expected to bring in about £16.8 million this season and an additional £21 million the following season.
The mega-deal struck by the Dutchman is being invalidated by Barca due to evidence of criminal activity.
De Jong’s team has clearly denied that the transaction was illegal and has expressed disappointment in Barcelona’s behavior, particularly with regard to sporting advisor Jordi Cruyff.
It is also believed that his entourage is perplexed about how the transaction passed audits and La Liga regulation checks if it was indeed illegal.
Selling De Jong is one of Barcelona’s attempts to address their severe financial problems, which they are now experiencing.De Jong is seen by the Catalans as the answer to their issues, and they want him to leave the club.
An €85 million contract with Manchester United is already in place. It may seem a smart move by the club the disposal of their financial problems but it doesn’t seem ethical.
FC Barcelona Threatens Legal Action
Barcelona is apparently contemplating legal action since the team needs to offload players and reduce salaries due to La Liga’s strict Financial Fair Play regulations.
Barcelona has informed Frenkie de Jong that they wish to void his current contract and reinstate the one he was previously under. The club is attempting to shuffle De Jong on and off the wage bill because he is one of their greatest earners.
Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Jules Kounde, among other players, cost Barcelona more than €150 million, but La Liga has informed them that they cannot register their new additions until they have reduced their payroll expenditure.
However, De Jong refused to leave the club unless he received the money he was entitled to this summer, which is the result of the postponed payments.
Previously, at Camp Nou, the Dutchman agreed to a two-year extension to 2026. Because of the financial impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, his compensation was adjusted as part of his new contract to reflect a lower salary for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Therefore, De Jong’s base wage for the following four years, as well as €15.6 million in loyalty bonuses, must be paid by Barcelona. Even if the value of this package is €88.6 million, it does not include appearance- and performance-related add-ons, which may bring the sum payable to the players beyond €100 million.
De Jong’s attorneys, however, contend that the club’s financial difficulties are not his fault and want Barcelona to be held accountable for the deal they signed.
In a letter addressed to the Dutchman in July, Barcelona is thought to have informed the midfielder that they have the authority to file a criminal complaint in an effort to determine who is to blame. With Gerard Pique and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, the Catalan giants are also in similar discussions.
Additionally, it appears that the Blaugrana are going above and beyond to satisfy league requirements, starting with either ejecting De Jong from the team or insisting he forgo his salary.
Erik ten Hag has named De Jong as one of his top goals in the midfield for the 2022–23 season, and the former Ajax player has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer.
De Jong Desire To Join Chelsea
Meanwhile, De Jong has expressed to friends his desire to join Chelsea over United, ostensibly because Chelsea can provide him with quick access to the Champions League. Nevertheless, he won’t want to leave until Barca pays him what he is owed.
De Jong’s transfer to Chelsea is apparently approved, and the club is also prepared to cover his back pay.
Through the course of the previous season, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante both dealt with intermittent injuries. De Jong would give Thomas Tuchel more options in the middle of the field.
It’s a terrible way to do things, especially when De Jong can see how hungry Barcelona is for pricey veterans like recent additions Robert Lewandowski and Andreas Christensen or possible targets like Bernando Silva of Manchester City or Marcos Alonso of Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Frenkie De Jong has always preferred to remain at Barcelona, but given the situation, it appears that he will have to leave the team against his will.
De Jong is probably a better match at a more valuable age, and it’s difficult to conclude that he is much worse than any of those players on paper. He might be trying so hard to stay at the club for that reason, or he might just want to get paid what was agreed upon.
Maybe De Jong alters his mind now that the possibility of legal action hangs in the balance. Barcelona is aiming for it, regardless of the appearance.
The theme of this summer is survival.
The situation, for now, is that both Chelsea and Manchester United are looking forward to hiring him. However, where he will play in the 2022–2023 season is not yet confirmed.
