Barcelona wants to determine easy methods to maintain Frenkie De Jong

Yesterday’s El Clasico between Barcelona and Actual Madrid, and Barcelona’s 2-1 win, is the proper microcosm of the place Barcelona is now. Whereas they have been a lot the higher group, the win nonetheless got here, in some methods, by the slimmest of margins. Marco Asensio’s obvious winner late was dominated out by him being not more than a foot offside, and Franck Kessie’s precise winner quickly adopted on a counterattack as Madrid pressed and pressed for a profitable purpose that might have saved the La Liga race alive. It sounds unusual to say a few group that’s now 12 factors clear on the high and can canter to the title, however contemplating how Barca needed to dodge, duck, dive, dip, and dodge their monetary restraints to construct this now championship group final summer time, the entire soundtrack might be Megadeth’s “Pores and skin O’ My Enamel.”

Barca actually wouldn’t have received yesterday with out midfielder Frenkie De Jong, who was one of the best participant on show by a distance. De Jong led everybody in probabilities created, tackles, and dribbles, whereas additionally rating second in passing accuracy behind teammate Andreas Christensen, who had the advantage of attending to play passes to his fellow defenders underneath little stress. De Jong did it from the stress cooker of midfield, the place he merely thwacked the complete Madrid trio of Modrić, Kroos, and Camavinga.

That’s been the story of De Jong all season, the place he’s amongst Barca’s leaders in each passing, creating, and defensive class. He’s been all-action, as he’s sort of needed to be as Sergio Busquets’s age catches up with him. However like the remainder of the group, Barca needed to stroll a mighty effective tightrope simply to maintain within the group, even when it actually felt like they didn’t need to and wished his wage off their more and more shady books. Like each different margin name with all their levers, it went their approach although it might need been in opposition to their needs initially. The perfect transfer is typically the one you don’t make and all that.

However like every thing else with Barca nowadays, how lengthy can they keep on this tightrope?

When the invoice comes due

As talked about final week when finding out Barca’s ref-payment scandal/accusation/mess, La Liga’s president is saying that earlier than subsequent season, the membership goes to should slash some $200 million off its payroll. That quantity will likely be disputed by Barca all via subsequent summer time’s switch window, they usually’ll play their now patented-shell recreation with levers and methods to attempt to fudge that quantity as greatest they’ll. However it will likely be almost not possible for them to maintain La Liga officers pleased with out some actually arduous choices.

Some choices have already been made for them. Gerard Piqué retired, which cuts about $15 million in itself. Busquets’s contract is up after the season, which ought to save round $39 million if they simply let him stroll (although they’d wrestle to interchange him cheaply). Jordi Alba’s deal is up after subsequent season, however he’s light right into a extra reserve function this season behind Alejandro Balde and each he and the membership might search alternate options, which is one other $22 million if they’ll discover a new dwelling for him. That’s $75-$78 million proper there, however they’re nonetheless a great distance from the end line.

Some trimming across the edges would possibly get them midway there or near it, however that might not be sufficient. Which is the place De Jong is available in. He’s the membership’s highest earner, additionally at almost $40 million a yr reportedly, and he’s about the one participant they’ve who would have a critical, critical sale worth. Actually, he could be the most important sale they may provide, which might assist offset what they should trim from their wage invoice to fulfill Spain’s FFP guidelines. If his asking value was round $90 million final yr, the rumored quantity agreed between Barca and Manchester United final summer time earlier than De Jong refused to budge, he’s in all probability within the triple digits now.

The issue with promoting somebody like De Jong, in fact, is that you must substitute him. This turns into trickier with Busquets’s future cloudy, together with whether or not or not the membership can maintain hotshot Gavi round both. In the event you squint, possibly Gavi and Pedri together with a cheaper-than-De Jong holding midfielder may paper over the cracks, however given every thing that’s fairly a wager. De Jong is a do-everything midfielder simply coming into his prime years who kicked Madrid up and down the sector. This stuff don’t develop on bushes, and any substitute certainly would eat up a superb chunk of the financial savings promoting De Jong would offer.

Very similar to final summer time, De Jong doesn’t should go. He’s underneath contract via 2026 and there are few different golf equipment that will likely be pleased to pay him the $40 million he’s taking down per yr now. United might need to attend for a sale of the membership to be accomplished earlier than they know if they’ll, although one can’t rule out Chelsea sustaining the Leslie-Chow-at-Caesars binge they’ve been on since Todd Boehly took over. He might stick round simply because he needs to once more.

And since Barca at all times budgets with probably the most optimistic views, they’ll want him. Their grand plan this season was constructed on reaching the latter phases of the Champions League. Then it was amended to profitable the Europa League when that first pie-in-the-sky outlook crashed and burned. Then that thudded into the bottom too. Logic and cause not often if ever enter the Barca boardroom, so you possibly can wager subsequent yr’s plan will nonetheless be banking on a Champions League run. How do they handle that with no De Jong?

That is the Wallenda routine that Barca will proceed to should take care of to appease the principles and but preserve a contending group. Every little thing, largely, has labored out this yr. However you possibly can’t dwell on the wire.