Revealed: Barcelona set new date for Frenkie de Jong contract extension announcement as agreement reached after long delay

Barca and De Jong have been aiming to come to terms over a new contract for the Dutch midfielder for a long time and the wait appears to be near its end and he is expected to put pen to paper on October 15, Mundo Deportivo reports. The signing will come the day after he returns from international duty. A few clauses, like the bonuses, are yet to be finalised, and soon after the agreement is signed, an official announcement from the Catalans is expected.

The decision-makers at Barca consider the midfielder key to their project under head coach Hansi Flick. Having joined the club back in 2019 from Ajax, he has remained a key figure in their midfield in recent times. Rumours regarding a potential transfer to the Premier League were in the air a few windows back, but De Jong has opted to continue at Barca. This season, he has already featured seven times for the Catalans, which includes five games in La Liga and two in the Champions League. Last season, he was third among the five captains, but this term, after the Marc-Andre ter Stegen soap opera, he is leading the side on the pitch.

Recently, in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, sporting director Deco revealed how crucial De Jong is for Barca and that he wants to fight for trophies. He said, "We're talking. Frenkie is really enjoying being here. Maturity at all levels, with the family, within the team... if you're a player with character, you don't just want to stay to be at Barcelona, but because you want to compete for titles, and he sees that he can compete for titles. He sees this and wants to stay here. At the club, we see him as a key player for the current project and the years to come, so I think we'll make the most of it."

The October international break is to commence soon, and De Jong, who has donned the Netherlands shirt 60 times since 2018, will be a part of the two qualifiers against Malta and Finland.