Barcelona are ‘pressuring’ Frenkie de Jong to negotiate with Chelsea if he does not agree to reduce his wages at the club before the start of the La Liga season.
That’s according to Sport, who provide the latest update on the ever-expanding drama around the midfielder this summer.
They explain that there was a meeting with De Jong’s agent this week and he has a proposal to continue at the Camp Nou but if he won’t do so, they have asked him to negotiate with Chelsea.
They’re pressuring the player to make an imminent decision about his future so they can work out their own plans.
They are open to De Jong staying at the club but if he won’t reduce his wages they need him to leave for either Chelsea or Manchester United.
The player has always wanted to stay but to do so he would have to accept losing the deferred payment that is owed to him by the club.
If accepts that then Xavi would be happy to have him in his squad but if he doesn’t, the club wants to sell him and thus save on his salary.
For now, his entourage have been listening to Chelsea and United but no progress has been made on either front. Time is of the essence, though, and ‘all possibilities are open’.
That same entourage are not currently of the same opinion as those in charge at Barcelona because they don’t want their client to lose the salary that he is owed.
That is why the move to Chelsea is still on the table and the Blues are ‘pushing hard to close the deal in the next few days’.
The only clear part of the situation is that they will have to pay €80m to get the Dutchman, something they are, at least, willing to do.
