Getty Rumors Frenkie de Jong could leave Barcelona have been played down
Frenkie de Jong’s agent has responded to surprise speculation the Barcelona midfielder could leave the Camp Nou in the summer transfer window after just one season at the club.
Rai Sport’s Paolo Paganini reported that Juventus, Barcelona and Bayern Munich were all sounded out about a possible loan for the Dutchman and that De Jong had a “cold” relationship with Lionel Messi. However, Ali Dursun, the midfielder’s agent, has been asked about the rumor and told De Telegraaf‘s Mike Verweij the report was “complete nonsense.”
It’s not the first time rumors have surfaced about De Jong’s future even though he only joined Barcelona in summer 2019 from Ajax. Juventus asked about the possibility of including De Jong in a possible swap deal in recent negotiations, according to Sport. The Italian champions turned to the Dutchman after Arthur refused to be included in a deal to bring in Miralem Pjanic, according to RMC Sport.
De Jong Rumors Come as a Surprise
Speculation surrounding De Jong is a surprise given he’s been a regular for Barcelona since arriving from Ajax. The Catalan giants beat off competition from plenty of clubs to land the midfielder for €75 million on a five-year deal.
The 23-year-old has gone on to feature in all but one of Barcelona’s La Liga fixtures in 2019-20, scoring in the wins against Valencia in September and Real Betis in February. He has also featured in all of Barcelona’s Champions League appearances this season.
Debate Over De Jong’s Best Position
Although De Jong has cemented his place in the Barcelona XI, he has not had perhaps quite the same influence as he did at previous club Ajax. The midfielder was asked by Sport in January to give himself a mark out of 10 for his performances and went with “six or a six and a half.”
Ajax coach Erik ten Hag questioned De Jong’s role at Barca on Dutch TV show ‘Rondo’ on Ziggo Sport. He said: “He’s not a goalscorer. He’s the player who supplies… who supplies the teammates who give the assists or who score goals from their position.”
Former Barcelona star and Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman also feels the Catalan giants are not getting the best out of De Jong. He told Marca: “The position he is playing now is different to the national team and Ajax. He’s learning to play further forward like this, it’s not all bad, but it’s not his best position. For me, I think he performs better playing deeper.”
READ NEXT: Lionel Messi Thinks Playing Without Fans is ‘Downright Spooky’