Barcelona in a very cold situation with heavyweight midfielder – no ...

Barcelona in a very cold situation with heavyweight midfielder – no contacts made for months

FC Barcelona and Frenkie de Jong’s relationship has undergone various spells of turbulence since the Dutchman arrived at the club.

While Frenkie has delivered dominant performances with great frequency over the years, that has not stopped Barcelona from seriously contemplating departures for him in recent times.

After all, for a club grappling with financial instability, the sale of one of its most lucrative assets is seen as a massive opportunity to alleviate economic pressures.

Not only is Frenkie de Jong one of the highest-paid players in Europe, but he is also a highly marketable asset whose sale could generate a significant financial boost and ease Barcelona’s ongoing economic troubles.

When the summer transfer window flung open, Barcelona were keen to offload Frenkie de Jong to shed his hefty wages.

However, an injury sustained in April derailed those plans. Initially expected to sideline him for just a few weeks, the midfielder’s absence has now stretched over three months, raising concerns within the club and cooling interest from potential buyers.

Unable to cash in on the 27-year-old, Barcelona were at least hoping to rely on his presence on the pitch. Yet, with the season underway, uncertainty still lingers over when Frenkie will be fit to return.

In fact, the situation with Frenkie de Jong has become highly complex, and no one is willing to take the risk of providing a definitive timeline for his return, journalist Adrian Sanchez has exclusively revealed to Barça Universal.

Still no return date for De Jong. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

To make matters worse, his relationship with the club has grown extremely cold. Communication between the two sides has been virtually nonexistent for months, with the midfielder yet to respond to the club’s renewal offer.

Barcelona are neither capable of selling him off nor utilizing his abilities on the pitch. Ostensibly, this has led to a cold standoff that further complicates Frenkie’s role at the club and clouds any hopes of an amicable resolution.

De Jong’s discontent with Barcelona isn’t surprising, considering his frequent presence in transfer rumours. Most notably, his frustration is compounded by the lack of adequate recovery time provided for his injury.

Interestingly, Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman publicly accused Barcelona of rushing Frenkie back to the pitch, which exacerbated his injury.

“His club took risks before and now we have to pay the price. I know that he played while he was not 100% ready,” he boldly claimed.

Barcelona do not share the same sentiment, though, and believes they exercised utmost caution with the player.

In any case, the strained relations open the door for a possible exit next summer. While this may fit Barcelona’s strategy, it risks the midfielder leaving at a discounted price, given his contract runs until 2026.

At the end of the day, De Jong’s absence is far from ideal for Barcelona, who continue to bear the brunt of his hefty wages and cannot even enjoy the assurance of knowing when the storm clouds of injury will leave him be.