Barcelona reach agreement to renew contract of 22-year-old star until 2028: Reports
Barcelona have reached an agreement to renew the contract of 22-year-old full-back Gerard Martin until 2028, as per journalist Ferran Correas, who focuses on the Blaugrana for Spanish outlet SPORT. Martin put in an impressive performance against Brest in their UEFA Champions League clash at the Lluis Companys on November 27 as La Blaugrana secured a 3-0 win.
Ferran Correas has claimed that an agreement in principle has been reached. La Blaugrana are expected to extend the 22-year-old's contract until 2028 and include a release clause worth €100 million.
However, the deal hasn't been announced yet because the club are working towards staying on the right side of financial fair play rules. They will need to raise the funds required to ensure they can formalize his new contract and announce it.
Martin has made 13 appearances across competitions this season for Barca, providing two assists.
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick talks about Frenkie de Jong's ongoing fitness concerns
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has spoken about the ongoing fitness concerns of midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who has struggled with injury in recent months. De Jong notably suffered an injury to the ankle during El Clasico in April 2024, which kept him out of contention for five months.
De Jong has made nine appearances in all competitions for Barca this season, but seven of those have been as a substitute. Speaking after the game against Brest, Hansi Flick said (via GOAL):
"What I have to say is that he’s working very hard to get back. He’s not 100 per cent. He needs to get back to his best level. I’m sure he’ll get there. We’ll keep an eye on him."
"Frenkie needs to recover a bit more, he might play on Saturday. The important thing is the whole team. We want all the players to get back to their best level.”
Barcelona return to the Lluis Companys stadium on Saturday (November 30) when they face Las Palmas in La Liga. They will hope that Frenkie de Jong can return to his best in due course.