Barcelona threaten legal action if Frenkie de Jong declines to reduce salary: Report

Barcelona have reportedly threatened star Dutch midfielder, Frenkie de Jong, by urging him to reduce his salary if he wants to avoid legal action being taken against him. The Catalan giants have publicly highlighted the dire situation involving their finances and have reportedly attempted to settle the footballer's contract by reaching an agreement with him over the deferred wages he is owed.

Barcelona threaten legal action if de Jong doesn't accept lower wages

According to The Athletic, the situation involving Frenkie de Jong's contract saga with Barcelona continues to get uglier as the days go on. As per their report, the 26-time La Liga champions have threatened legal action against the Netherlands international if he does not agree to lower his wages.

The Athletic reports that the La Liga heavyweights wrote to de Jong on July 15, claiming to have found evidence of criminality in the contract agreement which was held by the previous administration. The 25-year-old had signed the contract with  Barcelona on October 20, 2020, at a time when the previous board was in charge. As per the report, Barcelona want him to settle for the contract he was on before he signed the two-year contract extension in 2020 — in which he agreed to take a pay cut for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, and earn £15.2million over the next four years till 2026.

As a result of de Jong's precarious contract situation, it is believed that Barcelona are also unable to sell the Dutch midfielder, as he is not keen on leaving until his wages are settled. The report also adds that Xavi's side had agreed on terms with Premier League giants Manchester United for the sale of de Jong and that it was the player who denied leaving the Camp Nou.

What has Frenkie de Jong said about staying at Barcelona?

While speaking to ESPN in an interview in May, Frenkie de Jong said, "I prefer to stay with Barcelona. Barcelona is just my dream club. Also from a young age. I just said it too. I’ve never regretted my choice despite the fact that I had hoped for more in terms of prizes than I’ve achieved so far. But I have never regretted my choice."

Since moving to Camp Nou in 2019, the only trophy that the Dutchman has won is the Copa del Rey trophy in the 2020/21 season. It remains to be seen what the future holds for de Jong, who is going through one of the most controversial contract sagas in football history.