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Discussions between Barca and De Jong, who is under contract until June 2026, have reportedly stalled, but will resume at the end of this season.

An ankle injury saw the Netherlands international miss the latter part of last term, as well as UEFA Euro 2024, in which Ronald Koeman's side reached the semi-finals.

Since returning to action, De Jong has made 29 appearances in all competitions this season, his sixth with Barca since joining from Ajax, but just 12 of those have been as a starter.

Despite reports suggesting his future with the Blaugrana is uncertain, the 27-year-old remains defiant.

"Let the newspapers talk about me," De Jong told Ziggo Sport. "I've been here for a while now, so I'm used to it. It can be frustrating. At some point, they invented things, so I had to express myself.

On his fitness, he added: "I feel good. I'm in very good shape, and I don't think about my ankle during matches any more."

De Jong will hope to feature on Monday (AEDT), when second-placed Barca faces third-place Atletico Madrid in a blockbuster clash at Metropolitano.