Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has been full of praise for midfielder Frenkie de Jong, claiming the Netherlands international has some qualities that even eclipse his own as a player.
Xavi was captured discussing De Jong in a trailer for the club’s new documentary “FC Barcelona – A New Era” and his words may come as a surprise given the Barca boss won every major title available as a player in a phenomenal career.
“Frenkie is a very special player, he has skills as a footballer that exceed my own footballing abilities,” the coach said, as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
De Jong has been regularly linked with a move away from Barcelona and also features in the new series. The Dutchman actually addresses talk he could leave Barcelona and insists he is not interested in an exit.
“I see myself playing here for a long time, I don’t care about the rumors about whether I go to another team or stay here,” he explained. “We haven’t talked about that and nobody from the team has told me anything. I don’t think it will happen, honestly, but if it does I would be disappointed.”
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De Jong Vows To Shoot More
De Jong is also captured in the documentary commenting on how he can improve his game. The Dutchman admits there is one part of his play in particular that he needs to work on.
“The coaches have been telling me for some time, as well as my family and friends, that I have to shoot more,” he explains.
The midfielder has scored just 15 goals in 157 appearances for Barcelona since his move from Ajax in 2019, a somewhat disappointing return for such a talented player. De Jong has found the back of the net just twice in the current campaign, against Almeria and Cadiz in La Liga.
Man Utd Still Keen On De Jong?
Premier League side Manchester United were heavily linked with a move for De Jong last season even though the midfielder made it clear repeatedly that he did not want to leave Barcelona.
The midfielder has also expressed his frustration at the near-constant transfer rumors, claiming Barcelona “spread a lot of lies” about his salary and how he is the highest-paid player at the Camp Nou.
De Jong ended up staying at Barcelona but started the season on the bench and had to work hard to regain his place in the starting XI. Meanwhile, speculation regarding a possible move to Man Utd has continued. BBC Sport have reported manager Erik Ten Hag remains keen on the Netherlands international.
Ten Hag and De Jong worked together previously at Ajax and could be reunited at Old Trafford if the Red Devils can persuade the midfielder to make the switch.
Barca’s financial situation means the club could be tempted by big-money bids in the summer transfer window, although convincing De Jong to leave his dream club may be far more difficult.
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Xavi Makes Surprise Admission About Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong