Frenkie de Jong's Barcelona Future at Risk as Flick Doubts

Frenkie de Jong’s once rock-solid status at Barcelona is cracking. What had long seemed unthinkable at the Camp Nou is now firmly on the table: a sale of one of the club’s most established midfielders.

According to Gerard Romero, Hansi Flick is no longer convinced that De Jong should remain a central pillar of his project. The German coach, who arrived with a clear idea of how he wants Barcelona to play, is said to have grown increasingly doubtful about the Dutchman’s recent performances and his overall influence within the squad.

That shift in perception has opened a door that had previously been bolted shut. If the right offer arrives before the transfer window closes, Barcelona are now prepared to listen.

A relationship under strain

This is not a sudden fallout. The tension between Flick and De Jong has been building since the final stretch of last season, when trust between the two began to erode.

The flashpoint came on the biggest stage. During Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid in the 2025/26 season, De Jong had been cleared by the club’s medical staff to start. The plan was straightforward: give him around an hour, manage his minutes, and rely on his control in midfield in a high-stakes tie.

He did not play.

Despite medical approval, the Netherlands international is said to have decided against featuring, choosing not to risk his body in such a demanding match. From a player’s perspective, it was a decision rooted in self-preservation. From Flick’s, it cut far deeper.

That night is understood to have marked a turning point. The coach’s opinion of De Jong shifted, and the relationship between them has deteriorated ever since.

Injury, doubt and a changing hierarchy

De Jong is currently sidelined with the knee injury he suffered during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Barcelona are closely monitoring his recovery. For a long time, any conversation about his future revolved around fitness and timing: when he would return, how quickly he could regain rhythm, how central he would be once fully fit.

Now the discussion has moved well beyond medical reports.

Romero’s latest information paints a different picture inside the club. De Jong, once deemed untouchable in previous windows, no longer enjoys that protected status. Barcelona are not actively pushing him out, but the stance has softened. A suitable bid, at the right price, could be enough to end his stay.

That represents a significant change in internal policy. For years, De Jong has been one of the senior figures in the dressing room, a reference point in a squad that has undergone constant transition. His presence has been a symbol of continuity through managerial changes and financial turbulence.

Now, even that anchor feels loose.

A decisive summer ahead

Barcelona find themselves juggling two uncertainties with the same player: his knee and his role. The club is still waiting for clarity on when De Jong can return to full competition, yet the bigger question now sits on Flick’s desk rather than in the medical room.

Can the coach truly build his midfield around someone he no longer fully trusts?

As the window ticks on and offers begin to swirl around Europe’s elite, Barcelona’s stance has quietly but unmistakably shifted. De Jong’s future, once a closed case, is suddenly one of the most delicate decisions of their summer.