The Dutch star Frenkie de Jong, midfielder for Barcelona, spoke about the latest developments regarding the renewal of his contract with the Catalan team, as well as commenting on this year's Ballon d'Or nominations, indicating his stance on his current level compared to what he has shown in previous seasons.

De Jong's contract with Barcelona expires on June 30, 2026, but various media reports have recently linked him with the possibility of leaving during the upcoming summer transfer window, before the player confirmed that the renewal process is heading in the right direction.

De Jong said: "The Ballon d'Or between Lamine Yamal and Dembélé? I think the award is not decided in a single match, but rather it is awarded based on a full season's performance, and in the end, we will see who wins it. There is no specific player I prefer; Lamine Yamal is a strong candidate and has a chance to win it."

Regarding renewing his contract with Barcelona, he clarified: "Am I close to renewing? Yes, I think I will renew. I can't confirm 100%, but if things go well, it will happen."

On separating from his agent, De Jong said: "I can't talk about this topic now, and I don't want to say anything. I am now with the Netherlands national team, and we will see what happens later. I hope to renew my contract, and the intention is to continue with Barcelona. If there is mutual desire, agreements are usually reached."

Regarding his level this season, De Jong stated: "Have I returned to my 2019 level? I don't think so; people exaggerate a lot. I suffered a long injury to my ankle, and my return can be considered an achievement in that regard, but I performed well even before the injury."

He added: "What has changed in Barcelona is that we have a better team now, and this makes people not notice the performance as much."

De Jong concluded his statements by saying: "Personally, I don't feel that this season has been much better than previous seasons. I won all the domestic titles in Spain and reached the semifinals of the Champions League, which made me more visible. Of course, the defeat to Inter Milan is still painful, as it was an opportunity to reach the final, but Paris Saint-Germain deserved the title; they performed strongly throughout the tournament."