Frenkie de Jong has rejected claims that he refused to take a pay cut at Barcelona by stating that he accepted a lower pay package during the first three years of his deal.
It is believed that the Camp Nou club offered the Dutch midfielder a weekly salary of £400,000 when he signed from Ajax back in 2019. He was then given a lucrative extension by former president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Now, the 25-year-old is under scrutiny due to his big wages and the fact that the club are trying to balance their finances in order to comply with La Liga’s financial fair play regulations.
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It was reported that Bartomeu handed De Jong a huge money two-year extension and was due to take home £16.8 million this campaign and as much as £21 million next season.
This summer, it is believed that Barcelona wanted to rip up De Jong’s current deal and go back to the original terms that he signed back in 2019.
As the summer transfer window went on, many reports claimed that De Jong refused to take a pay cut and was unwilling to move when Barcelona wanted to sell. It was widely claimed that the Catalan giants agreed a transfer fee with Premier League side Manchester United, however, De Jong was simply unwilling to leave.
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Recently, De Jong has rejected these claims, by stating he didn’t refuse a salary cut.
He said on TV NOS: “There have been many lies and falsehoods spread about my salary.
“In each of the first 3 years I played here, I cut my salary. Eventually, the money comes back, and it comes on top of my normal salary, so it looks bigger.
“I think a lot of people don't understand this, but the figures the media are spreading are false.”
It was clear that De Jong’s main wish was to stay with Barcelona and it has been reported that the midfielder is not happy with the way he has been treated so far this season.
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Barcelona boss Xavi left De Jong on the bench for some of the most important matches so far this campaign, and this could be good news for United as they look to revive their interest in the Dutch international in the January transfer window.
Will De Jong leave Barcelona in the winter? Only time will tell.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Barcelona, Frenkie De Jong, Netherlands