Deco tells Barça's Frenkie de Jong: "You are the cornerstone of this project"

Deco, FC Barcelona's new sporting director, has initiated contact to extend Frenkie de Jong's contract, which expires on 30 June 2026. And the understanding between the two parties is good.

The new strong man of the sporting management took a first step by talking to the player after the ankle injury he suffered in the match against Celta. As well as taking an interest in his condition, Deco told the Dutchman that both he and Xavi consider him essential to the team.

"You are the cornerstone of this project," he told him.

The Barça sporting director told him of the club's desire to extend his contract until 2028 and to forget everything that happened in the summer of 2022. The player made it clear to him that he is very happy in the city and in the team, of which he is one of the captains, and told him that his desire is none other than to continue as a Barça player.

With the Dutchman keen to renew, Deco has already contacted his agent, Ali Dursun. Barça want to make it clear to both De Jong and Dursun that the contract extension is not due to the club's Fair Play problems and that if they want to renew the midfielder it is because he is essential for the coach and will be very important in the coming years.

Deco's idea is to make progress in the negotiations in the coming months and he would like to be able to close the renewal once the January transfer window closes, in which Barça intend to sign Vitor Roque and perhaps strengthen with a centre midfielder, provided that the economic situation allows it.

The past

Deco has managed to overcome the distant relationship that both De Jong and Dursun had with the club's previous sporting management, as they were very aware that they were pushed to leave Barça in the summer of 2022 and accept a significant offer from Manchester United.

The club even threatened to denounce the contract the player signed with the previous board of directors.