Barcelona supporters were filmed pleading with Frenkie de Jong to stay at the club... just 24 hours after shouting expletives at him.
The Netherlands international, 25, is in the middle of a tough dispute over his contract. Barcelona owe him £17million in deferred wages - due to be paid across the next four years - but are trying to persuade him to accept just a fraction of that and lower his salary.
If De Jong is unwilling to accept a pay cut, Barcelona want him to complete a summer transfer to either Chelsea or Manchester United. The Spanish giants need to make sales to register their new signings, including Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde.
De Jong was filmed driving into Barcelona's Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training ground on Thursday, with several fans waiting for him outside. They clapped the midfielder's arrival and were heard shouting "stay with us, don't leave".
It's a stark contrast to what Barcelona fans were shouting at De Jong on Wednesday. They were filmed hurling abuse at him, with one shouting: "Cut your salary, b****."
De Jong has been a key part of Barcelona's side since he joined from Ajax three years ago, making 140 appearances to date. He helped them win the Copa del Rey during the 2020/21 campaign and it's believed he would prefer to stay at the Camp Nou.
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Barcelona supporters will feel more confident about De Jong committing his future to the club after reports suggested United are no longer interested in signing him. Erik ten Hag's side have been after the player all summer but are ready to admit defeat.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are still after De Jong's signature. Unlike United, they can offer Champions League football this season and have an excellent record when it comes to silverware - winning five trophies during the last five seasons, including the European Cup.
If De Jong does stay at Barcelona this summer, he is likely to be hit by a substantial loss of expected earnings. Rumours suggest the Spanish club are even considering trying to annul his deferred wages agreement, which was signed during the Covid pandemic.
De Jong accepted a wage cut when he signed a new contract in October 2020 on the basis the deferred wages would be paid between 2022 and 2026. As such, he has received an automatic salary increase at a time when Barcelona need to make cuts.
It's claimed Barcelona's current board believe De Jong's deal might not be legitimate as it was agreed by their predecessors. If the club's legal team could prove that, they could theoretically drop the player's salary back to pre-2020 levels - forcing a wage cut.
FIFPRO, the players' global union, are believed to be watching De Jong's situation closely. Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists the player wants to stay the club. "He is a Barca player of great quality and we want him to stay," said Laporta on Sunday night. "He has offers but we want him to stay and he wants to stay too."
