Barcelona Holds on to De Jong, Reschedules New Stadium Debts
Barcelona is close to renewing the contract of Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong after a slow start, while also successfully financing a large portion of the debt related to the "Espai Barça" project, amounting to €424 million.
Club president Joan Laporta and Dutch national team coach Ronald Koeman discussed De Jong's future positively and shared a desire to keep him with the team for a longer period, according to Goal on Friday.
Laporta clearly explained to reporters: "We want De Jong with us for many years. He is a key player in our team. His contract renewal is on the way, and you will hear news soon."
For his part, Koeman, the former Barcelona legend, shared Laporta's optimism regarding the player's future, saying: "De Jong has repeatedly stated that he wants to stay at Barcelona and that he is happy here, so I don't see any problem." The future of the 28-year-old former Ajax star was in doubt due to his high salary and the interest of several clubs, especially Manchester United. However, with new German coach Hansi Flick keen to keep him in his plans, and the player's brilliance last season, the club now sees him as a key member of the squad.
De Jong joined Barcelona in 2019 for €85 million, making 259 appearances, scoring 19 goals and providing 23 assists. He won two league titles, two Copa del Rey titles, and two Supercopas. He has represented the Netherlands 59 times internationally.
Separately, Barcelona announced the issuance of €424 million in bonds, allowing it to refinance a significant portion of the debt associated with the "Espai Barça" project even before the first team officially returns to the Camp Nou stadium on August 10. The club explained in a statement on its official website on Friday that, in collaboration with Goldman Sachs, its financial advisor, the club successfully restructured its $424 million debt, used to build the new stadium and due in 2028, into a new structure using the current financial framework. Repayments on this new structure will begin in 2033 and be fully repaid by 2050, with an average refinancing cost of 5.19 percent.