BARCELONA midfielder Frenkie de Jong signed a new deal until 2029, the Spanish champions announced Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Dutch international joined Barcelona from Ajax in 2019 and is in his seventh season with the Catalan giants, winning two La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey twice.
“Barca are confident that the midfielder can be a pivotal part of the current sporting project due to his quality and experience,“ said the club in a statement.
De Jong has struggled for form at times but became a key part of the midfield under Hansi Flick last season alongside Pedri Gonzalez.
“I always dreamed of playing for Barca, and now that I am living the dream I have always had since I was a child, I want to continue pursuing this dream for many more years, and I am eager to win titles,“ De Jong told a news conference.
Arriving under previous Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu, De Jong is one of the club’s highest earners, with Spanish media reporting he has accepted a pay cut in his new deal starting from the 2026/27 season.
De Jong said previous media reports over his salary were exaggerated and had affected how he was viewed by fans.
“I will not tell you what I will earn, they’ve always talked about it a lot but I think that numbers regarding what I earned before have been exaggerated a lot,“ he explained.
“I think that has affected a bit how people see me, because if they read in newspapers that Frenkie earns this, that he’s the player who earns the most money in Europe… it has an impact.”
Barcelona tried to sell De Jong in 2022 as part of cost-cutting measures but the midfielder dug in to stay at the club for whom he has made over 250 appearances.
“I don’t feel under-valued by my team-mates, coaches or within the club, that’s more (a media) thing,“ added De Jong.
“That’s the beauty of football, everyone can have their opinion.” – AFP
