Barcelona could reportedly ask midfielder Frenkie de Jong to agree to a fresh pay cut as part of their efforts to re-sign Lionel Messi.
The Netherlands international, who accepted a decrease to his salary in 2020 as Barcelona recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, was involved in a protracted transfer saga involving Manchester United last summer.
Upon Erik ten Hag's switch from Ajax to Old Trafford, the Dutchman earmarked his compatriot as his number one midfield target as Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic departed the club on free transfers.
Man United were understood to have reached an agreement in principle with Barcelona over a fee at one stage, but De Jong had no interest in swapping Camp Nou for the Theatre of Dreams.
As such, the 25-year-old refused to enter negotiations with the Red Devils, who were ultimately forced to give up their pursuit and instead poached Casemiro from Real Madrid.
While Man United have been tipped to reignite their interest in De Jong this summer, speculation has largely died down after the midfielder publicly announced his desire to stay at Barca on numerous occasions.
However, fresh doubts over De Jong's future could now emerge, as Mundo Deportivo - via The Mirror - claims that Barcelona could try to slash his pay packet again.
La Blaugrana will try to engineer a dream homecoming for Messi this summer, as the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner prepares to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract.
Barcelona are no longer in the same financial predicament they were when Messi departed in 2021, but they must make significant cuts to their squad before a sensational return can be considered realistic.
La Blaugrana will supposedly have to trim their wage bill by as much as £175m before they can make any additions or register new contracts, and a firesale of fringe players will be the club's first step towards driving those numbers down.
In addition to letting a number of players leave, De Jong and number one goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen are thought to be two players in line for fresh pay cuts, which is unlikely to go down well with either player's camp.
Man United apparently still hold an interest in reuniting De Jong with Ten Hag, but the Red Devils are prioritising the signing of a new striker over a new midfielder this summer.
Since last summer's transfer saga, De Jong has scored two goals and set up two more in 38 matches for Barcelona this season, remaining a key part of Xavi's plans with 24 La Liga starts.
The Netherlands international has a total of 15 goals and 19 assists from 178 games in a Barcelona jersey since 2019, and he remains contracted to the Blaugrana until 2026. body check tags ::
