Barcelona expecting Saudi offer for star midfielder, will push for departure if club or player refuse renewal: Reports

Barcelona expects clubs from Saudi Arabia to move for Frenkie de Jong this summer, according to SPORT (via Football Espana). As per the report, the Catalans will push for an exit if the player refuses to sign a new deal.

De Jong has turned into an enigma for the LaLiga giants of late. Once considered a key figure in the middle of the park for Barcelona, the Dutchman's stock has plummeted in recent times.

The 27-year-old started the season on the sidelines due to an injury and has since lost his place in the starting XI to Marc Casado. He has two goals and one assist from 21 games this season, only six of which have been starts.

The player's contract expires in 2026 and the Catalans had offered him a new deal last year. However, De Jong failed to respond, forcing the club to retract their proposal.

The LaLiga giants are expected to sit down for a fresh round of talks in the coming months. However, they are also aware of the rising interest in the player's services from the Middle East.

Barcelona are now waiting for Saudi clubs to move for him at the end of this season. Unless the Dutchman signs a new deal, the Catalans will offload him this summer. However, the report adds that De Jong isn't too keen to move to the Middle East and wants to stay at Camp Nou.

If the player attempts to run down his contract, the LaLiga giants will reportedly threaten to keep him off the pitch for the entire season.

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Will Barcelona move for Nico Williams this summer?

Frenkie de Jong

Barcelona have retained their interest in Nico Williams, according to Fichajes.net. The report notes that the Catalans have identified two priority targets ahead of the summer.

The first name on the list is Jonathan Tah, whose contract with Bayer Leverkusen expires at the end of this season. The German defender has already announced that he will leave the BayArena this summer. The LaLiga giants want to rope in the 28-year-old to reinforce their defense. However, Barcelona also have attacking additions on their agenda and are planning to rekindle their interest in Williams this summer.

The Catalans were eager to sign the Spaniard in 2024 but failed to get a deal across the line. The Athletic Bilbao forward reportedly has a release clause of €60 million in his deal but that hasn't deterred the LaLiga giants.