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DONE DEALS
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Frenkie de Jong’s Barcelona status changes completely as Camp Nou war erupts
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 7 Aug 2025 14:57 BST
- 3 min read
News
Barcelona are ready to shake things up just days before the start of the new La Liga season, with Frenkie de Jong set for a dramatically different role at Camp Nou.
De Jong has been a thorn in the Catalans’ side for a prolonged period due to his high wages and refusal to negotiate a smaller wage. He also refused to leave for Manchester United in the summer of 2022, when the Red Devils were desperate to sign him under Erik ten Hag.
Barcelona even threatened legal action against De Jong, who remained a favourite of his coaches due to the quality that he brought on the field for the team.
Current ETV
Frenkie de Jong
M, DM (C)
Barcelona
Frenkie de Jong
M, DM (C)
Barcelona
ETV Range
€21.1M - €25.8M
Now it appears that the Dutchman’s status at the Blaugrana is ready to come full circle.
Javier Miguel reports that De Jong is set to be Barcelona’s first captain at Camp Nou.
Barcelona’s expected captaincy hierarchy for 2025/26
- 1. Frenkie de Jong
- 2. Raphinha
- 3. Ronald Araujo
- 4. Pedri
- 5. Gavi
Ter Stegen to lose captaincy
De Jong finds himself in position to become Barcelona captain following a spectacular fallout at the club with Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Leading Blaugrana officials, and especially president Joan Laporta, are furious with the Germany international goalkeeper, according to Cadena SER, and he was officially stripped of the Barcelona captaincy on Thursday.
Ter Stegen’s clash with the Barca board also stems from his refusal to leave the club in the summer. He still has two years left on his Camp Nou deal but has no inclination to depart.
To make matters worse, he has subsequently suffered an injury that Barcelona believe will rule him out for several months. In theory, Barca should be able to discount him from their payroll for Financial Fair Play (FFP) purposes but he is refusing to sign an agreement to give them the authority to give La Liga his medical files.
With Barcelona fighting for room on their wage bill to register five players, including new signings Marcus Rashford and Joan Garcia, as well as second-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, Ter Stegen’s actions have left the club furious.
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