GARY LINEKER feels Barcelona are treating Frenkie de Jong like a “piece of meat.”
The Dutch midfielder has been locked in a wage row with the Catalan giants this summer as the club attempt to balance their books.
Barcelona provided De Jong with an ultimatum of leaving the club or taking a huge wage cut after claiming the deal he signed in 2020 was illegal.
Fees have already been agreed with Manchester United and Chelsea but the former Ajax star is refusing to leave unless he is paid the £14million he is owed in deferred wages.
And Lineker, who played for Barca between 1986-89, said: “I feel for Frenkie a bit.
“He’s been treated a bit like a piece of meat in the whole thing for circumstances totally out of his control.
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“He’s a gifted young player and it’s very important for him he doesn’t go somewhere he doesn’t want to go.
“He has the playing cards in his hand in that sense.
“He will have to be quite strong. It is so weird.
“Barcelona seemingly want him but something has to give and it just seems a shame for it to end up like this.”
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Barcelona are stuck in financial turmoil after having to sell off assets in order to register their new signings.
Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen were only registered with La Liga hours before their first game of the season.
But despite the circus, LaLiga TV host Lineker believes his old club can win the title if their financial gamble pays off.
Lineker, 61, added: “I got a feeling Barca can do it.
“It has been a bit all over the shop but they have managed to bring in some top players.
“At some point Real Madrid will go over the top with their great players.
“Modric, Benzema and Kroos are all in their mid 30s and at some point father time is going to catch up with them.
“It’s a gamble what Barcelona have done but it might pay off.
“They were in a perilous position and only had two choices.
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“They could have gone soft and hoped the money came in from ticket sales but they have gone this way.
“It could implode but hopefully not.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
