Leaked: The huge contract of De Jong at Barca

Today, Marca leaked the contract details of Frenkie de Jong in Barcelona. Originally, The Dutch signed a contract with 14M basic salary. However, during the pandemic he received 12.3M. The renegotiated contract meant he deferred 16M in 20/21 and 21/22 season, due in later seasons.

Barcelona is negotiating with Manchester United the transfer of Frenkie de Jong. The departure of the Dutchman is not a sporting issue, the reason is economic since the azulgrana club will have to pay a lot of money to the player in the four seasons remaining on his contract. In total, Barcelona has to pay 88.58 million for the fixed salary and loyalty bonuses that he has in his contract. To this amount could be added variables worth 8 million (two for each year) if he plays 60% of the games and a maximum of 12.8 (3.2 per year) for titles won or entering the final of the Champions League, as contemplated in the player’s contract to which MARCA has had access.

Fixed, deferral and bonus

There are three main reasons why these amounts are so high. First, the footballer’s fixed salary which was stipulated at €14 million when he signed in 2019 for Barcelona. Secondly, the deferred payments due to the pandemic of that fixed. De Jong gave up an important part of his salary that he would be recovering in the following seasons. And finally, the loyalty bonuses he has in his contract totaling €15.58 million.

Next seasons

The deferral of payments together with the loyalty bonuses mean that in the next two seasons the overall amount to be received by the player will be much higher. If last season he received a fixed nine million, next season he will receive double that amount. In addition, he will receive a bonus of almost three million and would go in total to almost 21 million. The 23/24 is the one that has the record because he will receive 27.7 million for fixed and bonus. These figures could be increased with the variables.

Market in Europe

This is the reason why the club wants to sell the player as he is out of the salary scale that the new Sporting Management intends to establish no matter how much Laporta is saying that he will do everything possible to keep him. In addition, De Jong is one of the players who has a bigger market because of his quality. In fact, United is willing to pay 65 million fixed plus another 20 million in variables although these amounts are still being negotiated.

First discount

In De Jong’s first season covid appeared and that’s when the changes to the contract began. In that first season, the club reduced the salary of all first-team players by 12% on a linear basis. The Dutchman was paid 12.32 million instead of the 14 million that his contract stipulated. The continuation of the pandemic meant that the following year the contract had to be renegotiated.

Compensation

What the player did was to extend his commitment for two more seasons with deferred payments. In the first two campaigns, 20/21 and 21/22, the player reduced from 14 million to three and nine, respectively. That meant giving up 16 million euros, which he would collect over the remaining four seasons until the end of his contract in 2026. Hence, he will earn a fixed 18 million, the 14 million he earned plus the four deferred. In the last one there is an extra million because he earns 19.