Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is reportedly preparing to exile Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong from his squad if the player refuses to leave the club or sign a contract extension, according to SPORTbible.
Amid significant financial difficulties, Barcelona is keen to offload several high-earning players, including de Jong, in order to ease their financial burden. The club has been actively looking to strengthen their squad during the winter transfer window, but their financial woes have made it challenging to register new signings.
Despite missing the original deadline to register Spain internationals Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, Barcelona has now been granted approval to do so. However, it is understood that the club must sell a number of players this January to balance the books.
De Jong, who joined Barcelona from Ajax in 2019, is one of the top names reportedly on the chopping block. With his contract running until the summer of 2026, the 27-year-old midfielder is currently earning a reported €365,385 per week, a figure that weighs heavily on Barcelona’s finances.
This season, de Jong has made 15 appearances across all competitions, contributing one goal and one assist. However, with younger players like Marc Casado and Pedri ahead of him in the midfield pecking order, Barcelona could resort to sidelining de Jong entirely if they cannot offload him in the coming weeks.
