Barcelona duo unwilling to leave because of high wages - Reports

Barcelona duo Frenkie de Jong and Jules Kounde are reportedly unwilling to leave the club due to their high wages. The Catalan giants are looking to make multiple big sales this summer to help their financial fair play situation.

As per SPORT, Barcelona will have trouble selling Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong and French defender Jules Kounde even if they receive good offers for each of them. Both players reportedly do not want to leave the club as they are currently on high-wage contracts, which they may not receive at other clubs.

De Jong is currently the highest-paid player at the club, with a reported salary of €40 million per year. The Dutchman holds an ascending contract until 2026, so his fees will increase next season. As per Capology, Jules Kounde earns €13.5 million per year.

Per multiple reports, Barcelona will listen to offers for De Jong, especially if he does not reduce his salary. Barca will also reportedly be looking to sell multiple other players, including Oriol Romeu, Marcos Alonso, and Ronald Araujo.

Barcelona could return to 1:1 rule this summer and make top signings

As per Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are optimistic they will be able to return to the 1:1 rule this summer to make top-priority signings. The 1:1 rule in La Liga states that any club in the league can only spend as much as they earn.

La Blaugrana were unable to benefit from the rule due to their financial woes since the departure of previous president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

However, Spanish journalist Ferran Correas reported recently that the club has been offered a whopping €100 million contract by Nike to continue their deal, which was set to expire in 2028. The deal could be finalized by next week, which would enable Barcelona to return to the 1:1 rule.

If Barcelona return to the 1:1 rule, they should be able to compete for the signings of top players.

The club has been eyeing the situation of Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, who has been a dream signing for president Joan Laporta for a while. Clubs like Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are also reportedly in the race to sign Silva this summer.

La Blaugrana are also monitoring players like Dani Olmo, Martin Zubimendi, and Joshua Kimmich. Meanwhile, they are open to hearing offers for Frenkie de Jong and Ronaldo Araujo, who is reportedly no longer untouchable following his crucial mistake in the UCL quarter finals against PSG.