Transfer Talk: Barcelona face uphill battle in Frenkie de Jong contract renewal talks
Credit to Author: Abbie Ingham| Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2023 19:14:22 EST
Stevie Nicol explains why Jurgen Klopp could rotate a lot of players in the early stages of the Europa League. (1:21)
The summer transfer window has closed for Europe’s top leagues, but there are still moves in the works and plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
Securing a new contract for midfielder Frenkie de Jong is a pressing concern for Barcelona in order to ease financial pressure on the club, reports Sport.
The 26-year-old, who is out of contract in 2026, has emerged as a crucial part of manager Xavi Hernández’s side so far this season, starting in all five of Barcelona’s LaLiga matches this season and in the Champions League.
Barcelona are now preparing to offer De Jong another salary reduction in order to comply with financial fair play rules.
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This reduction would mirror Marc-André ter Stegen‘s new contract — ESPN previously reported that the 31-year-old goalkeeper agreed to a new deal until 2028 that deferred a significant part of his wages to help free up salary space for this season.
However, reaching an agreement with De Jong remains a distant and challenging prospect, mainly because of the strained relations between the club, the player and his representatives. Although the Dutch international has a new agent, there is reportedly still resentment after he was pressured to join Manchester United last summer against his desire to stay at the Camp Nou.
Since his arrival from Ajax for €75 million in 2019, De Jong has made 189 appearances for the Blaugrana, scoring 16 goals and providing 21 assists.
– Manchester United are prepared to cut their losses by parting ways with Jadon Sancho in January, the Daily Star reports. The 23-year-old winger faced disciplinary action and suspension from the first-team squad following a dispute with manager Erik ten Hag. There is reportedly a standoff between the England international and his manager, and with Sancho standing firm and not offering an apology, his future at Old Trafford looks uncertain. The Red Devils will look to resolve the situation by allowing the forward to leave in the January transfer window to the club that presents the highest offer. Since making the £73m move from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, he has scored just 12 times in 82 appearances.
– U.S. men’s national team defender Reggie Cannon has completed his Queens Park Rangers medical and will join the club on a four-year deal, Football Insider reports. The 26-year-old right-back became a free agent this summer after terminating his contract with Portuguese club Boavista, reportedly because of a disagreement over unpaid wages. The defender has made 28 appearances for the USMNT but was left out of the squad for the 2022 World Cup. Cannon will now join the Championship side, who are searching for a right-back after Ethan Laird made the switch to rivals Birmingham City this summer.
– Trevoh Chalobah is still expected to leave Chelsea in January, Fabrizio Romano reports. The 24-year-old centre-back, who made 33 appearances in all competitions for the Blues last season, rejected a move to Nottingham Forest as he had a strong desire to join Bayern Munich. However, the Bundesliga club were unable to complete the move before the German transfer window closed. Mauricio Pochettino previously denied claims that the former England U21 international was being excluded from the first team after a move away from Stamford Bridge fell through on deadline day. Although the Argentine manager claimed that the defender was still part of his plans for the upcoming season, there is reportedly a clear sense that he will depart the west London club in January.
– Juventus are preparing to enter talks with Samuel Iling-Junior over a new contract, Calciomercato reports. The 19-year-old winger’s existing deal runs out in 2025, but the Bianconeri are preparing to offer him a contract with an increased salary that will keep him at the club until 2027. The Serie A club side is aware of the interest in the England U21 international, and they are hoping a new agreement will extend his stay in Turin.
– Premier League and Serie A clubs are closely watching Wolfsburg’s Jonas Wind, according to Ekrem Konur. The 24-year-old has captured the attention of several top clubs in England and Italy with his impressive start to the Bundesliga season, scoring five goals and providing one assist in four appearances. The Denmark international is under contract with the German club until June 2026.