Frenkie de Jong has suggested he will leave Barcelona if he doesn’t get more playing time.
The Netherlands international continues to be a peripheral figure under manager Hansi Flick as he struggles to overcome the effects of a long-term ankle problem.
De Jong has made just eight appearances this season and did not come off the bench in recent defeats to Leganes and Atletico Madrid that derailed the club’s La Liga title bid.
It was another sign that Flick has little faith in the former Ajax midfielder, who is out of contract in June 2026.
He could leave in a cut price deal
Reports in Spain suggest that financially strapped Barca would accept just €20m for the 27-year-old at the end of this season and De Jong admits his willingness to sign a new contract is entirely dependent on his involvement in the coming months.
Speaking in an interview with Voetbal International, he said: “Renewing my contract is a matter for the papers here, but it’s not for me. I want to play football and then I will see what the club wants to do with me and then I will decide what I want to do, together with my agent and my family.
“People think I want to stay at Barcelona forever because life outside football is very good here, and it is good, but it is still less important than what happens on the pitch. If I felt I couldn’t contribute enough or if the team couldn’t compete, I would leave.”
Barca spell was a disappointment – De Jong
De Jong joined Barca in the summer of 2019 and admits it hasn’t gone entirely to plan.
He added: “I have to admit that when I signed for Barcelona I didn’t imagine that I would only win one La Liga, one Copa del Rey and one Spanish Super Cup after four years.
“I was expecting at least twice as much, so that’s disappointing. Things happen and cannot be predicted.”
