Barcelona strongly suspect that the club captain wants to leave for free when his contract expires in 2026.

Frenkie de Jong is going through a difficult time this season, having failed to recover as a first team player after returning from injury.

The Dutchman has fallen behind the likes of Pedri and Marc Casado in the pecking order, losing weight in the team in the process.

In light of De Jong’s problems, there has been growing uncertainty over his future. This comes even at a time when Barcelona are struggling to tie the midfielder to a new contract.

Barcelona’s suspicions about De Jong

According to MARCA, Barcelona suspect that De Jong is clear that he wants to end his contract and then leave the club as a free agent.

The midfielder’s current contract at the Camp Nou expires in 2026. Barcelona are interested in renewing this agreement and have already given the player an ultimatum.

However, given De Jong’s lack of prominence in the team, added to his poor relationship with the board, it is unlikely that the player will renew his contract in the short term.

Barcelona, ​​for this reason, cannot afford a scenario in which the Dutchman leaves the club for free, knowing that he is one of the players who can attract a solid valuation on the market.

De Jong has been linked with a move away from Barcelona for the past two years, with a valuation of at least €70m.

But the player’s value could drop drastically if his losing streak continues. Barcelona are therefore interested in a new agreement.

The Catalans have already proposed their conditions: earning the same salary for the next few years, an offer to which De Jong has taken too long to respond.

Therefore, it will be interesting to see how De Jong reacts when he returns from the break. The Dutchman is likely to start Barcelona’s first game in 2025, when they face Barbastro in the Copa del Rey.