Barcelona’s rich history and illustrious lineage solidify the club’s position as one of Europe’s most prestigious. La Blaugrana is still a formidable team in the sports world. Barça’s financial strength, however, lags well below that of the other European powerhouses.

Barcelona’s allure and reputation continue to make it one of the most lucrative clubs in sport. But because of fiscal mismanagement over many years, the Catalans are subject to new constraints. These limitations hinder them from going for the most lucrative contracts.

Much of this poor administration occurred during Josep Maria Bartomeu’s term as president of Barcelona. There was plenty to be proud of during his tenure as leader, but there are also unanswered questions that remain. Frenkie De Jong’s contract is one of several unlucky presents he took with him when he left Barcelona.

SPORT claims that the terms of the Dutchman’s deal have been made public. The athlete was treated quite well when he agreed to postpone his payments during COVID-19.

Pay Scale

The player’s base wage appears to have changed significantly over his first two seasons. De Jong received the following guaranteed payouts when his deferral period ended:

2020/21: €9.6 million

2021/22: €12.5 million

This pay bracket thereafter saw a significant increase. Since he is now getting reimbursed in addition to receiving his regular wage, the figures for this and future seasons have exploded:

2022/23: €18 million

2023/24: €18 million

2024/25: €19 million

2025/26: €19 million

According to SPORT, De Jong does not have the highest fixed wage at Barça. That honor falls to Robert Lewandowski, who will join Laporta that summer of 2022 as the club’s marquee acquisition. According to the source, the Polish striker has the highest basic salary at the Catalan club.

Benefits for Continuing Service

However, De Jong also agreed to a loyalty incentive with Barcelona in addition to his base salary. If De Jong remains an active member of the FC Barcelona roster through the end of the 2021/22 season, he would be entitled to this sum.

2021/22: €2.8 million

2022/23: €2.8 million

2023/24: €6.8 million

2024/25: €4.2 million

2025/26: €4.0 million

It’s interesting to note that the highest loyalty benefit might be used with the current initiative. Perhaps this was why Barça considered trading the player to Manchester United. The transfer train, however, derailed, and the Dutchman is still a member of Barcelona.

De Jong’s highest paying season as a Barcelona player will be the 2023/24 campaign, when he will earn a total of €26.8 million. This includes his set salary for the campaign (€18 million), his loyalty bonus (€6.8 million), and a performance incentive based on participation (€2 million). While enormous, these figures serve as a constant reminder of the harm done by Bartomeu’s tenure at Barça.