Frenkie de Jong has agreed a new contract with Barcelona, extending his stay at the Catalan club until 2029.
The midfielder’s previous contract was due to expire next summer, meaning he would have been free to listen to offers from other clubs in January if he had not renewed his terms.
Barça had been in talks with De Jong over an extension for months, but negotiations have taken longer than anticipated due to the Dutch international changing agents earlier this year.
His new contract comes as a boost for Barça, too, with sources explaining the 28-year-old’s base wage has been reduced given the nature of his previous agreement with the club.
De Jong’s last deal with Barça was signed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when he was one of four players who agreed to backload payments on his salary.
That meant his wage was reduced during the pandemic, but that as he moved towards the end of that agreement, which expired in 2026, it increased again.
As a result, Barça looked to transfer him to Manchester United in 2022 to cut costs, but De Jong has always expressed his desire to stay in Spain, despite tension with the board at times.
– Jordi Alba reveals retirement decision came after change of heart
– Barça in Miami: Why FIFA, UEFA let leagues play overseas
– LaLiga table
A €75 million ($86.86m) signing from Ajax in 2019, De Jong is in his seventh season at Barça, where he has made over 250 appearances under five different managers.
During that time, he has won six trophies, including two LaLiga titles.
He has evolved from a young player coming into an experienced squad to one of the veterans of the team, with his partnership in midfield with Pedri key to Hansi Flick’s Barça side.
>
