Frenkie de Jong turns down offer to leave Barcelona this summer | OneFootball

Amid plenty of talk that Frenkie de Jong and Barcelona will extend their relationship beyond the end of the season, it appears that the Dutchman is willing to put his money where his mouth is. The 27-year-old is currently in negotiations with the Blaugrana over a new deal.

Just six months ago, de Jong’s exit from Barcelona seemed a certainty this summer, with the €83m signing being whistled by his own fans. Struggling to return from injury at the time, and with his contract up in 2026, and little sign of a new deal being offered – Barcelona had withdrawn their previous offer – it appeared that Director of Football Deco would be seeking a new home for de Jong in the summer.

Image via EFE

The likes of Manchester United, long-term pursuers of de Jong, and Liverpool have been linked with de Jong, meanwhile there was also talk that Barcelona had reached out to Saudi Arabia to see if the Middle Eastern power would be interested in de Jong. While for him a move to Saudi Arabia never appeared to be on the cards, Sport now say that he has definitively turned down an offer to move to Al-Ittihad, who were willing to put down a significant contract offer for de him.

It is worth noting that their Technical Secretary Ramon Planes, formerly at Barcelona, has already signed talented youngster Unai Hernandez from the Blaugrana this year. Manager Hansi Flick has been key in bringing de Jong and Barcelona back together, reinvigorating the Dutchman on the pitch, and asking Barcelona to make a financial effort to keep him off it, as he considers him crucial going forward.

De Jong has had a mixed time at Barcelona since his big-money move from Ajax, and many Barcelona fans were ready to move on from him by the end of last season. While he has struggled to dominate games in the fashion some had expected, in 2025 he finally appears to be at his best in a Barcelona shirt, a common theme this season under Flick.