“I don’t think I am Barca’s best paid player after Messi” – Barcelona star exposes salary claim by insisting ‘there has been a campaign with lot of lies’ 

Frenkie de Jong has hit out at claims that he is Barcelona's highest-paid player since Lionel Messi. The Dutchman claims the money owed by the club to him seems like a lot because of the salary cuts he took in the last three years.

In an interview with ZiggoSport, the midfielder rubbished those claims. He said:

"I don't think I am Barça's best paid player after Messi. There has been a campaign with lot of lies. In each of first 3 years I played here, I cut my salary. So eventually money has to come back and of course it will look bigger."

He also admitted that there was pressure from the club to leave in the summer (via 90Min):

"I was calm. I decided in May that I wanted to stay. My opinion never changed during the whole period. I remained calm. But then, you know, the pressure started coming. From the newspapers, from the president, from everywhere. But I wanted to stay at Barça, so it never bothered me."

Barcelona were looking to get De Jong to reduce his salary further this season, but the Dutchman refused. The midfielder was determined to remain at Camp Nou despite many clubs interested in signing him.

In 154 appearances for Barcelona, De Jong has 14 goals and 18 assists.

Barcelona president claims he never wanted to sell Frenkie de Jong

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has claimed that the club never wanted to sell Frenkie de Jong. He said: (via Daily Mail):

"He wants to stay and we want him to stay. That is the most important. What is clear is that we have a new salary scale and all the players have to fit into it.

Laporte added that the club is trying to fit its players into their new salary structure:

"We are trying to make these players understand the reality of the club. We find ourselves with a salary mass triggered by more than 40 per cent. We all have to make an effort. We are going to do everything possible to make him stay and we hope that the player will also do everything possible to stay."

De Jong has started four matches in the league for Barcelona this season and has come off the bench as many times. He has scored one goal in eight La Liga matches this season.