Amidst all the noise surrounding Frenkie de Jong and Barcelona, the club’s sporting director, Deco, met with the midfielder’s agent, Ali Dursun, earlier today, reports Toni Juanmarti of SPORT.
With the summer transfer window four months away, the media spotlight has been back on De Jong, as Barça need to make some important sales in the summer.
As such, speculations have been rife that the Catalans would be open to his sale due to his wages as they need to generate revenue and reduce their salary bill.
But De Jong came out earlier this week and bashed the media over the speculations, claiming that lies were being published when it came to his salary at the club and his future.
Clear-the-air talks between Deco and De Jong’s agent
Given the tension, Deco and Dursun decided to take the bull by the horns and talk things out to clear the air about the situation.
The pair are understood to have met at a well-known restaurant in Barcelona as they felt it was necessary to calm things down, exchange views directly, and not let outside noise affect the relationship between the parties.
While De Jong’s fury was mainly directed towards the media earlier this week, Deco believed that the situation could affect the Catalans and generate mistrust from the player’s side, who in 2022 already saw how the club used the press to push him to leave.
As such, Barça wanted to convey support and confidence to the Dutchman, who for his part is clear that he is happy at the club and in the city. The meeting between Deco and Dursun, which lasted about an hour and a half, had a positive tone and goodwill.
Contract situation remains at standstill
The report states that Dursun has been meeting with Barcelona officials quite regularly in recent months, but there has been no tangible movement as far as De Jong’s new contract is concerned.
Barça remain eager to tie him down to a new deal, albeit with a lower wage as the club’s urgency in terms of ‘fair play’ is paramount. An offer has already been sent to the Netherlands star according to reports, but a response is awaited.
At the end, though, the 26-year-old is very comfortable in Barcelona and that factor should be key to reaching a satisfactory agreement for both parties.
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