Barcelona open contract talks with key player to reduce wages - Reports

Barcelona have reportedly opened talks with midfielder Frenkie de Jong for a new contract, which would include a pay cut.

De Jong has been a key player for the club since arriving from Ajax in 2019. He has made 184 appearances across competitions, scoring 15 goals and providing 21 assists. His contract with Barcelona expires in 2026. As per Sport, the club are looking to offer De Jong a new contract with a reduced salary.

The Blaugrana have suffered through financial issues in recent years, which has seen many key players reducing their wages. The likes of Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba took pay cuts to help the club before their departure last season. De Jong could be the next in line to do so.

The Dutchman has already made it clear that he does not want to leave the club at any cost. He was heavily linked with Manchester United last summer, and the Red Devils had also agreed a transfer fee with Barcelona. However, De Jong was adamant that he won't leave the Blaugrana, so he stayed at the club, making 33 La Liga appearances in their title win.

He's also one of the club's vice-captains this season, along with Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Ronaldo Araujo, behind captain Sergi Roberto.

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Frenkie de Jong insists he wants to stay at Barcelona

While the Dutch midfielder has been linked with a move away, he recently reiterated that he wants to succeed with Barca. De Jong admitted that his sale might help Barcelona financially but added that he doesn't want to part ways with his dream club.

De Jong said (via Forbes):

"Economically, Barca are not at their best. And they could get a lot of money for me.

"Maybe the club thought it was good to sell me and have that money. But I didn't want to leave. I had always been clear about it. I didn't want to. That's why I was very calm. I had decided."

He added:

"I always wanted to be at Barca. In these first years (since joining from Ajax) we had not won La Liga, nor had we come far in the Champions League. We had only won one Copa del Rey."

De Jong effectively committed his lifetime future to Barcelona:

"To succeed at Barca, I had a lot left (to achieve). And I also saw that the team was improving that summer. Players of a high level arrived, and that's why I wanted to keep going. It's my dream club, and I want to be here all my life. I didn't want to leave suddenly."

De Jong played the entire 90 minutes in Barcelona's goalless draw at Getafe in their 2023-24 La Liga opener last weekend. They host Cadiz on Sunday (August 20).