Reason behind Barcelona captain’s renewal talks progressing slower than expected | OneFootball

With the transfer window coming to an end, FC Barcelona have turned their full focus towards closing some important contract renewals.

At the top of the list is the extension of midfielder and one of the club captains, Frenkie de Jong. The 28-year-old’s current deal expires at the end of the season, and both parties are eager to reach an agreement soon.

During the pre-season tour of Asia, his renewal was practically taken for granted, after De Jong said: “I haven’t signed yet, because otherwise you would have seen it already. But I’m very happy at Barça, and I know the club is happy with me, so I’m going to renew.”

Reason for delays

Even so, the midfielder’s contract extension until June 30, 2029, has dragged on.

According to AS, the main stumbling block was a legal dispute with De Jong’s long-time agent, Ali Dursun, which meant the club asked him to clarify who his new representative would be before moving forward.

The midfielder now has a new agent, but the contract is still not finalised.

Renewal not yet finalised. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)

That new agent is Sebastien Ledure, who already met Deco on 20 August. Both parties are keen to seal the renewal, but talks are progressing slowly.

One reason is that De Jong is still owed deferred payments from his current deal, which need to be restructured across the new contract to avoid creating further Financial Fair Play issues.

Furthermore, the change of negotiators has also slowed progress. Still, De Jong’s continuity is not in doubt.

The midfielder, currently sidelined with a minor injury, is an important part of Hansi Flick’s plans at Barcelona and has made it clear that he wishes to renew soon.

It is only a matter of ironing out the details of his deferred payments before the extension, until 2029, can be secured.