Barcelona contract renewal encounters obstacles, agent disputes become key obstacles

Barcelona Club's contract renewal negotiations with midfielder core Frenki De Jong are in a standstill. Although both parties have the intention to extend their cooperation, the dispute between De Jong and his current agent Ali Durson has become the primary obstacle at the negotiating table.

28-year-old De Jong has only one last year left in his contract with Barcelona and will expire next summer. The Dutch international has publicly expressed his desire to stay in the team many times and has become a key player under coach Hansi Flick in the just-concluded 2024-25 season. Barcelona also hopes to reach a contract renewal with it.

However, according to Spanish "Marca", due to conflicts between De Jong and his long-term partner and agent Ali Durson (cooperating for more than 15 years), and De Jong hopes to terminate his cooperative relationship with the broker, the formal renewal negotiations have not been started yet. De Jong is currently focusing on resolving the brokerage contract issue with Durson and needs to appoint a new agent later.

Barcelona can only passively wait for De Jong to resolve his personal affairs. Only after the agent dispute is settled and the new agent is in place can the club start renewal negotiations. Although De Jong's willingness to stay in the team has eased some of the pressure, the core reason why Barcelona's management is eager to start a dialogue with it is its high salary. The club has made it clear that the salary level in De Jong's current contract (the pre-tax income may reach 27 million euros in the new season) is "unsustainable" to the team's finances.

Barca is currently facing strict financial fair competition restrictions on La Liga rules, and the team's total salary has exceeded the upper limit. If you want to register for a new player this summer, the club must reduce overall salary expenditure. Therefore, in the new contract negotiations in De Jong, Barcelona is expected to seek partial deferrals to pay its high salaries in order to reach an agreement that is acceptable to both parties.