Frenkie de Jong | The last muppeting lap

Frenkie to United?

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yumtum said:
That's why I deliberately said Barca owe him what's in the contract! (The bit you highlighted) No one will know what's in the contract except those involved in drafting it.

If his lawyers didn't state the money will be owed whether FDJ is at the club or not then that's a huge oversight, one which a team of lawyers probably wouldn't overlook.

Think it came out that Pique will be payed into his retirement, which means he won't be playing for the club and still getting paid - the very scenario FDJ will be in.

At the end of the day, he won't and shouldn't forgoe a penny of what he's owed (if he's actually owed) if it's in a contract.
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Barca are going to try and pay as little as possible to him. That’s for sure. Hence the Protracted negotiations.
 
Tweek said:
For me, the Telegraph reports about his deferred salary from earlier today are the most believable reason as to why this is dragging. If you leave aside all the other speculation and bullshit and just consider this alongside the actual soundbites we've had from Laporta and FDJ (because to my mind, the only things you can put any real stock in one way or the other are actual 'on the record' quotes), it is starting to look like brinkmanship between those two camps.

Surely any deferral of wages will have been contractually agreed and signed by both parties... nobody is making gentleman's agreements with those sorts of figures involved. That means there is an agreed repayment plan that is likely complicated by FDJ leaving the club. I'm no expert on Spanish employment law but I cannot see how Barca can refuse to pay him the deferred money just because he has left unless the contract explicitly says that he waves any future payments if that happens. However, I also cannot see any semi-competent lawyer or agent advising the acceptance of a contract that could, under the right set of circumstances, ultimately leave his client significantly out of pocket in future. I guess it could happen, but I'd be surprised if he has ended up in that situation. Barca agreed to pay him money for 'services rendered'... those 'services' have already happened so Barca owe him at least some of that money somewhere down the line. Perhaps the repayments are covered by some sort of clause that says if FDJ seeks to initiate a move away from the club, Barca are not liable for the back-pay, much like a loyalty bonus, and that is why we are seeing the back-and-forth between Laporta (saying Barca aren't pushing him out) and FDJ (positioning himself so as not to breach such a clause). There could be no clause of that kind and Barca are simply chancing their arm by saying "of course we'll agree to sell you but only if you agree to wave (or maybe reduce) the deferred payments" and FDJ is quite simply holding his ground... he has all the cards in that scenario and little to lose so why not. That would be what I would do, especially if leaving could in any way be legally construed as tacit agreement to forego some or all of the money owed.

I am not up to speed on the ins and outs of Barca's finances, what these magical levers have done for them both now and over the next 5 years, or what is happening in terms of pay cuts and deferrals throughout their squad. I also don't know much about La Liga's FFP/wage cap rules. There is however too much smoke for there to be no fire at all with this one... United are seemingly chasing the player but keeping extremely quiet. Barca are seemingly talking to someone about a FDJ transfer, even if they do also believe that they may keep him. I am starting to think that if he stays, it will almost be out of spite because Barca tried to mug him off to the tune of millions of euros and he refused to cave to their demands, or his agent/lawyers couldn't find a way for him to leave without seriously affecting the money he is owed. If even a fraction of the reports about Barca needing his wages off the books are true though, I think he will leave at some point soon and it is purely posturing on both sides to put themselves in the best financial position. Unfortunately, if any of that happens to be in any way accurate, United are caught in the middle until they sort it out.
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Great post, we are caught in the middle as you say, putting all our eggs in one basket potentially losing out on easier more affordable options that we could sign now and allow us save funds to strengthen other areas of the team and squad.
 
hellhunter said:
Not so much the last years. We more often than not got our man. People keep mentioning Fabregas or Ramos, but since those days we had more success with our sagas
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Fair enough. My PTSD won't disappear this fast though.
 
People need to use their logic when looking at this transfer.

I keep reading people writing that FdJ doesn't want to come, Barca doesn't want to sell...so why are there still discussions of a potential transfer?

Do people not think that EtH has done is due diligence and spoke to FdJ and ascertained whether he wants to come or not?

And the other thing I keep reading is that this deal is like the Di Maria or Fabregas one's...they're not the same at all.
 
DevilRed said:
Barca are going to try and pay as little as possible to him. That’s for sure. Hence the Protracted negotiations.
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Absolutely!

I don't think anyone wins in this scenario, FDJ will get all his money by staying put, but will not play as much.

I share the sentiments as other who said they can't see why players want to go there.
 
Siorac said:
How can you NOT doubt it? We've seen so many transfer sagas end with disappointment.
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To be fair, I think they are all trying to brave it - come across as absolutely certain if you will - we get those during every saga, one person who is absolutely sure that the deal will happen even though some have eventually fallen through.

It was the same during the Griezman 'la decision' nonsense when one of the mods here convinced himself and everyone how it was going to happen, and if you dare raise any concerns about it not happening, you were met with a flood of green smileys.

Point is, no one knows at this point what will happen. I like to think he has a slightly higher chance of joining us than not, BUT wouldn't be surprised to see FDJ stay put OR even join another club who comes in last minute after we've done all the legwork.
 
It does show how thick and lacking of seeing the big picture players are when they're rushing to join Barca when this sort of thing is public knowledge. It's a club in deep trouble, but hey at least you get to play at the Nou Camp.
 
Judas said:
It does show how thick and lacking of seeing the big picture players are when they're rushing to join Barca when this sort of thing is public knowledge. It's a club in deep trouble, but hey at least you get to play at the Nou Camp.
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Spotify Nou Camp*
 
Sparky Rhiwabon said:
Don’t they still owe him the money regardless of whether he stays or leaves?
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Think the idea is he takes a reduced salary if he decides to stay on.

This whole saga is such a shit show tbh, if we don't get a resolution soon I think we need to start looking elsewhere. Can't waste such an important window.
 
Jesus Christ so they are actually in a position whereby they can't afford to keep him nor sell him?

Mes qué un club indeed. Football scholars will refer to this as the first known example of Schrödinger's Transfer.
 
Siorac said:
How can you NOT doubt it? We've seen so many transfer sagas end with disappointment.
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How many of those sagas had agreed deals with the other club? Everything reported so far indicates it’s very much on.
 
The amount of people sarcastically quoting Mes Que Un Club. :lol:

It was coined in the 60's by the 32nd President of the club and doesn't explicitly mean what most people think it means.

But alas.

They're a shambles these days. Bartemau really messed them up.
 
allen7 said:
I wish ETH decide to walk away from this deal, that will hit brokelona to new levels of financial challenges. Will be a lesson to laporta too.
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Really does seem ETH is desperate for FDJ. But this has been going for for a couple of months now and we really should move on if the FDJ budget will affect all the other deals we need to do.
 
The Purley King said:
if Barca do not pay him what he is owed by the date he is owed it then that breach of contract could easily be a good reason why FdJ could argue his contract is now void and he can sue for the money whilst at the same time becoming a free agent.
Funny certainly but not out of the question.
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if this happens I’m going to claim I was ITK all along ;)
 
red thru&thru said:
People need to use their logic when looking at this transfer.

I keep reading people writing that FdJ doesn't want to come, Barca doesn't want to sell...so why are there still discussions of a potential transfer?

Do people not think that EtH has done is due diligence and spoke to FdJ and ascertained whether he wants to come or not?

And the other thing I keep reading is that this deal is like the Di Maria or Fabregas one's...they're not the same at all.
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I think all parties are open to getting it done but if you use your logic also it is clear that the gaps are very wide. Barca seemingly wants the 20m in add-ones to be easily achievable on top of the 65m cash, United wanting badly to get it done but sticking tight to their position and FDJ wanting back-pay etc. It is not bad negotiation to state a deadline and be prepared to walk away. What United can’t afford is to turn this into a longer saga than it already is and impacting all the other transfers they need to do. If they drag this out for another month and at the end of the day FDJ doesn’t come then what’s the plan B?
 
Brownie85 said:
ETH must be certain that de Jong wants to join, otherwise he knows he's putting himself at a severe disadvantage this season by chasing a player that doesn't want to come
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On the surface of it, I'd have said that this deal is a non-starter, but if its true that Ten Hag & De Jong are in contact almost daily, well that suggests that De Jong is willing to join.
Perhaps Barca are trying to lump the deferred payments due to De Jong onto United...??
 
lefty_jakobz said:
I still get the feeling he’s going to City as part of a swap deal with Silva. Barca cant afford to buy and Silva has his heart set on the move, City and Pep help Barca and fk is over at the same time. Win win for Barca.
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City already rejected that proposal
 
yumtum said:
Absolutely!

I don't think anyone wins in this scenario, FDJ will get all his money by staying put, but will not play as much.

I share the sentiments as other who said they can't see why players want to go there.
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Whether he stays or moves he will get his money if it's in his contract.
 
More evidence that aggregator accounts should be banned on here and people should only post the original source.
 
I really hope that we never have to deal with Laporta ever again after this. :boring:
 
It's bin day.

Time to throw out this rotting saga and buy a new exciting one.

I really wish we'd just signed Gravenberch before Bayern got their cheapskate mits on him.
 
I'm guessing it'll be done sooner rather than later. Definitely not before we go on tour but before the start of the season.

Barca want to make their own signings, so I imagine they'll want the money from his sale quickly. Let's see what happens today and tomorrow
 
Ikon said:
On the surface of it, I'd have said that this deal is a non-starter, but if its true that Ten Hag & De Jong are in contact almost daily, well that suggests that De Jong is willing to join.
Perhaps Barca are trying to lump the deferred payments due to De Jong onto United...??
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In the standoff between De Jong and Barca over the money he is owed, it makes total sense for De Jong to let it be known publicly that he wants to stay.

It puts all the pressure on Barcelona as they can't say "oh he wants to leave so we shouldn't have to pay him" while painting themselves as the good guys.

If they want to sell him, they will have to instigate it and they will have to pay him what he's owed. He's playing it exactly right.
 
TheGame said:
Why on earth would Barca hand out these insane contracts in the first place? I mean players would have joined them if they offered a decent salary.
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Because before covid they thought they could just do whatever they wanted. Embarrassing.
 
TheGame said:
Why on earth would Barca hand out these insane contracts in the first place? I mean players would have joined them if they offered a decent salary.
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They gave Messi an insane contract and soon they had other players in the squad demanding more. Was only a matter of time before new transfers did the same.
 
If united pay up for him, we get him. Make a offer Barca can’t refuse, he is ours.

this could literally go either way, united clearly ain’t paying more for him so it’s a game of poker at this point. Could go either way.

problem with all this is, the teams around us are seriously strengthening.. and they are already miles ahead of us, we need players that will have a instant impact on the squad, we need frenkie to be in this team and in that midfield ASAP.
 
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