Manager of Barcelona Hansi Flick have struggled to find solutions to their recent drop in results in La Liga, and this has gone hand in hand with the lack of contributions from players returning from injury. Among those, no case is more intensively monitored than that of Frenkie de Jong.
The Dutchman has not found his best form since returning to the field in October after five months out. Until now, Flick has been his number one defender, feeling that de Jong at his best fits perfectly into his plans for the team. However Sport say that his opinion has changed in recent months, and having seen de Jong in action, he also has his doubts.
Barcelona continue to monitor AS Monaco's Lamine Camara. @tjuanmarti pic.twitter.com/soSLLR4FRz
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 17, 2024
The German coach is now open to selling de Jong next summer in favor of a more physical and positive midfielder, someone to compete with Marc Casado as the deepest midfielder in his formation. There are also doubts that de Jong will want to stay if he does not have a starting role.
De Jong's contract situation is a headache for Barcelona, with no sign of a contract renewal on the horizon. His deal expires in the summer of 2026, and the Blaugrana are willing to accept just €20 million for him, but there is a feeling at the Catalan club that he may throw out his contract.
