July 29, (THEWILL) – Frenkie de Jong must “make an effort” to fit into the club’s new wage structure, Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, has insisted while reiterating his wish to keep the Dutch midfielder this summer.
Currently, De Jong is being owed £17 million in deferred pay, which partly complicated a potential transfer to Manchester United apart from the player’s seeming reluctance to choose Old Trafford. Yet, in their continued effort to balance their books, Barcelona is looking to agree to additional salary reductions.
Many people have criticised Barcelona’s conduct, including Gary Neville and La Liga President Javier Tebas, who has made it plain that De Jong cannot be forced to reduce his wage. But, Laporta is focused on getting the club back to profitability. And, his focus was reflected in his comments on the issue.
“He wants to stay and we want him to stay,” Laporta said about the midfielder. “That’s the most important thing. What’s clear is that we have a new salary scale and all the players have to fit into it. We are trying to make these players understand the reality of the club. We find ourselves with a payroll that has risen by more than 40%. We all have to make an effort. We are going to do everything possible for him to stay and we hope that the player will also do everything possible to stay.”
However, Tebas, La Liga president, acknowledged that while Barcelona are “on the right track,” it will be difficult for them to sign all of their new players under the salary cap of the league without selling De Jong. And, this is the tightrope that Laporta is walking ahead of next season.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
