Replacing the famed midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets was always going to a herculean task, and few strides to do such has ended in failure. One of the more successful ones remains captain Frenkie DeJong.
Signed from Ajax for €75 million under the Bartomeu administration, the Dutchman has proved to be an extremely vital cog in Xavi's setup. But it wasn't always that way. He had an unsure start to life in Catalonia. In fact, last summer, the relationship between his camp and the club was anything but savory.
FRENKIE SAYS NO.
Last summer, much like this one, Barcelona had to deal with a crippling wage bill that prevented the signing and registration of desired players. As one of the players given an insanely gigantic contract by Bartomeu, Frenkie's wages was one of those that made the Barça purse burst at the seams. Mateu Alemany at the time was hellbent on reducing the wage bill in order to accommodate new signings like Robert Lewandowski and Jules Koundé.
As such, the painful decision to sell him was made. It was one that Xavi did not agree to, but understood the necessity. Manchester United were ready to take him up swiftly as well. But Frenkie DeJong, in his ultimate stubbornness, said no. He was hellbent on succeeding in Barcelona and nothing was going to stop him from doing so. This unfortunately soured the relationship between Frenkie and the club, along with most of its fans. He was practically being forced out. But he maintained his stance. And oh, how auspicious that was for Barcelona, because fast forward one year, and...
WORTH PROVEN!
...Frenkie has completely turned it around. He was crucial to our La Liga title capture last season and remains an undroppable piece of our squad. Xavi and Joan Laporta have stated numerous times over the course of the year that he's no longer for sale. The fans who wanted him out have come to adore him, even though a few still hang on to the notion that he should accept a pay cut. But it's hard to find a reason to begrudge Frenkie at this point.
His performances of the past year might've come from the fact that he needed to prove to himself, the club and the fans that he deserves to be here and we were wrong in thinking of selling him. And he was right. A midfielder of his calibre deserves to be in a team that prioritizes midfield play above all else, and no better place than Barcelona. Since then, the subject of pay cut hasn't been broached by the club, at least until now.
WHAT NEXT?
Now's the time to think about renewal, seeing as his contract runs until 2026. The relationship between Frenkie's camp and the club has considerably improved, and Mateu Alemany, who was allegedly the biggest proponent of Frenkie's sale last summer, has left the club. This should make the talks go smoother and an amicable decision reached. The club sees him as a long term option for them and they'll hope he'll agree to a renewal under new conditions. For now, Frenkie stays and the only person probably happier than I about that is Xavi.
What do you think about Frenkie's potential renewal? Let us know in the comments.