What extreme measures have Barcelona taken on the way to expelling Frankie de Jong? According to revelations from The Athletic in the UK and Spanish media, Barcelona have determined that the contracts signed by Frankie de Jong, Vidal and other players with former president Badoumeo were illegal and that all those involved in the contracts are suspected of committing crimes. Last month, the club has sent a lawyer's letter to Frankie de Jong, issued a warning of litigation, and demanded that he resume performance of the original contract.
Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo has revealed that the players suspected of illegal contracts include Frankie de Jong, Vidal, De Stijn and Kirven Dirangler. They agreed a contract extension with Badumeo last season at a reduced salary, but the contract guarantees that they will receive significant compensation in the future that exceeds the amount of the pay cut. Barcelona believe this constitutes an "unfair management offense" and the club's lawyers have taken the case to the prosecution, seeking to have the new contracts declared null and void.
The Athletic reports that Barcelona had sent a letter from their lawyers to Frankie de Jong a month ago, on the 15th, pointing out the controversy surrounding the current contract and warning all signings of the alleged crime. It is unclear whether Vidal, De Stijn and Kirven Dirangler received the same warning. Despite interest from both Manchester United and Chelsea, Frankie de Jong is still adamant on staying in the team and is rumored to want the €20 million owed to him by the club before he will leave.
