Frenkie de Jong's Future at Barcelona in Doubt
Listen to the story
The future of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has become complicated. The Dutch player does not have a clear place in the team anymore.
Coach Hansi Flick does not count on De Jong. This means Flick does not plan to use him as an important player.
At the same time, De Jong is one of the players with the highest salary at Barcelona. His high pay makes his situation more difficult for the club.
Many people expected a transfer for De Jong during the January transfer window. However, De Jong has rejected leaving Barcelona this winter.
Because of this, De Jong is now seen as a "frustrated transfer". The club wanted him to leave, but he refused.
His case shows a difficult situation for Barcelona. They have a player who is not wanted by the coach, but who earns a lot of money and does not want to go.
Vocabulary10 words
- midfielder
- a football player who plays in the middle of the field
- count on
- to depend on someone or trust them
- salary
- the money a person earns from work
- transfer
- when a player moves from one club to another
- window
- a fixed time when clubs can buy or sell players
- rejected
- said no to something
- frustrated
- stopped from happening; not successful
- complicated
- difficult to understand or solve
- club
- a sports organization with a team
- situation
- the state of things at a certain time
Quiz
Answer key
1. Flick does not count on him, but he earns a high salary and refuses to leave 2. He rejected leaving the club 3. False
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The future of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has become _____. The Dutch player does not have a clear place in the team anymore.
Coach Hansi Flick does not _____ De Jong. This means Flick does not plan to use him as an important player.
At the same time, De Jong is one of the players with the highest _____ at Barcelona. His high pay makes his situation more difficult for the club.
Many people expected a _____ for De Jong during the January transfer window. However, De Jong has _____ leaving Barcelona this winter.
Because of this, De Jong is now seen as a "_____" transfer. The club wanted him to leave, but he refused.
His case shows a difficult _____ for Barcelona. They have a player who is not wanted by the coach, but who earns a lot of money and does not want to go.


