Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has opened up about his future with the club, revealing he is not too worried about contract talks.
Instead, he’s staying focused on his football and taking it one step at a time. The Dutch international stressed that a decision regarding his renewal will be taken together with his agent and family, adding that there is no rush to make a decision yet.
Recent reports suggest that Barcelona have Resumed talks with De Jong Regarding the new contract. This is somewhat surprising, as the player’s current deal runs until 2026.
Barcelona’s efforts to secure his services long-term have been no secret, but now, it seems the club are keen to settle things soon.
Despite the ongoing speculation surrounding his contract, De Jong has made it clear that he is more concerned about his on-pitch performances and the team’s success rather than the business side of football.
“My contract renewal is an issue for the papers here, but for me, it’s not,” he told Voetbal International,
“I want to play football and after that, I’ll see what the club wants to do with me, and then I’ll meet with my agent and family to decide what to do,” He added.
disappointed with his tenure
Reflecting on his time at Barcelona, De Jong admitted that he expected more in terms of silverware when he first signed for the club.
After four years, they have won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, but they were expected to win at least twice as many titles.
This feeling of unfulfilled expectations has been a source of frustration, but he accepts that football can be unpredictable, and sometimes things do not unfold according to plan.
“I have to admit that when I signed for Barcelona, I did not imagine that after 4 years I would only win La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. I was expecting at least double that, so I was disappointed by this. “Things happen on the road that you can’t predict.”
De Jong also addressed speculation regarding his future, noting that while he enjoys life at Barcelona and appreciates the quality of life outside of football, his priority will always be his contribution to the team on the field.
“People think I want to stay at Barcelona forever because life outside football is very good here, and that’s good, but what happens on the field is still less important.
“If I feel I can’t contribute enough, or the team can’t compete, I’ll leave,” He added.
speaking on injuries
The midfielder also talked about the challenges he faced in 2024 due to injuries, especially an ankle injury.
At the beginning of his recovery, he was obsessive about monitoring any changes or reactions in his ankle, but over time, this has become easier to manage.
“In the initial stages of my ankle injury, I was busy with my ankle day and night. As soon as I woke up, I felt it immediately.
“‘Has it grown? Is there a reaction?’ Now I have almost forgotten it.” He noted.
Still, he continues to pay extra attention to his ankle, as some players struggle with knee problems while their ankle requires constant care.
“However, the ankle has always been something I have to keep in mind. By this I mean I have to continue to pay extra attention to it. This happens in some players’ knees, this happens in my ankle.
“This year [2024] It was the most difficult period of my life. For someone who loves football as much as I do, all these months felt like an eternity.”
playing with lionel messi
Finally, De Jong shared his admiration for Lionel Messi, praising the great player above all the rest. He recalled how, no matter what the team did in training, Messi was always the best.
“I have never seen such a big difference between one player and the rest. Whatever we did in training, Messi was always the best.”
His ability to find solutions on the pitch that even coaches could not anticipate struck De Jong as remarkable and is testament to Messi’s unique talent.
“He sees solutions on the field that you might not think of as a coach,” He added.