Barcelona President Reveals Special Contract Exception in Shocking Admission

Barcelona chief Joan Laporta has revealed the club has "made a special allowance" to discuss fresh terms with Frenkie de Jong, whose existing agreement runs out next summer.

The Dutch midfielder has faced persistent transfer rumors for several years, notably being connected to Manchester United during Erik ten Hag's tenure, yet has stayed as a crucial figure for Barcelona, entering the 2025–26 season following what was arguably his best campaign for the Spanish club.

Barça had been eager to renew De Jong's deal as a consequence, with the player himself acknowledging that a contract extension was inevitable during Barcelona's preseason activities. However, nothing came to fruition and there has been no fresh updates since.

This changed when Barcelona chief Joan Laporta addressed Catalan media RAC1 after returning from the 2025 Ballon d'Or event. Laporta pointed to De Jong's recent switch of representatives as the primary cause for the postponement in contract discussions, though he stays optimistic that a deal will be finalized.

The Special Allowance Barcelona Made With Frenkie de Jong

"De Jong's extension is being pursued," Laporta informed RAC1, via Mundo Deportivo. "Deco has performed exceptional work. We stated we didn't want squad members whose deals would conclude after this campaign, but we made a special case with De Jong due to his agent change.

"He's [De Jong] enthusiastic, he even mentions he's capable of resting well despite recently becoming a father. We're expecting positive developments soon."

Sebastien Ledure serves as De Jong's new representative and renewed talks with Deco are reportedly already in progress. The anticipation is that De Jong will pen a fresh deal that binds him to Barça through the summer of 2029.

Barcelona Players Out of Contract in 2026

De Jong isn't the sole player Barcelona have granted an exception to. Eric García and Andreas Christensen are also competing while in their final contract year with the team. Robert Lewandowski and Marc Bernal are in similar situations, though the club could activate options to prolong those two agreements.

Regarding García's situation, both the player and club desire a contract extension. SPORT indicates both sides are working toward reaching a deal before Christmas, while Christensen's circumstances remain unclear and it's probable an extension will depend on his displays throughout 2025–26.

Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Jules Koundé and Wojciech Szczęsny all secured new deals with the Catalans during the summer.