Substitute in the draw between Barça and Rayo Vallecano this Saturday in La Liga (0-0), Frenkie de Jong made a sensational entry in the 60th minute, bringing a binder between the midfield and the attack. A more than successful performance, which convinced the Catalan press this Sunday.
Frenkie de Jong finally left alone? Pushed out by FC Barcelona since the start of the transfer window, the Dutchman started the first day of La Liga this Saturday against Rayo Vallecano on the bench. The midfielder finally entered in the 60th minute, changing the face of Barca, much more dynamic after his entry. An entry that was hailed by the Catalan press this Sunday.
“Frenkie de Jong took advantage of his debut to justify himself”
“In the midst of a debate over his continuity, with Barca pushing him to accept an offer from Manchester United, Frenkie de Jong used his league debut at Camp Nou to justify himself,” writes Mundo Deportivo in an editorial dedicated to the good performance of the Catalan number 21.
“In just 30 minutes, De Jong managed to break the opponent’s lines, revolutionized the game and, despite the fact that the team failed to do enough, the Dutchman showed that he wants give reason to Xavi who says of him that ‘for me, he is an important player'”, continues the Catalan daily.
Named man of the match by Catalan radio
“He was not in his best shape during his first three years, but Frenkie does not give up and wants to fight”, concludes the article, far from the very many transfer rumors relayed daily by the Catalan press, who announced on Saturday that Barça wanted to force De Jong to leave, by landing Bernardo Silva in Catalonia. In the idea of showing him that he would not have playing time.
Entered the game for a little over 30 minutes, he still gets the score of 6 (out of 10) from Sport, who also underlines his contribution: “He gave another tone to the team’s game in midfield, more dynamic and vertical. The Dutchman did not lose his concentration despite all the rumors about his future and that is a point in his favour.” Catalan radio RAC1 also named him man of the match (Barça side), despite his 38 minutes spent on the field.
“If he stays, he will have an important role”, announces Xavi
At the end of the meeting, Xavi could only congratulate his player, always remaining cautious about his future. The Catalan press had just leaked that the Blaugrana coach would not count on De Jong for the future and does not see him as the successor to Busquets, in great difficulty on Saturday evening against Rayo and who finished excluded at the very end of the game. .
“We must emphasize the attitude with which Frenkie De Jong entered, underlines Xavi in a press conference. He is not a replacement. He is important, I have already said several times that he is very important for us . If he stays, he will have an important role.” If the press still assures that Busquets’ replacement during his suspension should be Miralem Pjanic, the Dutchman wants to sow doubt and show until the end that he can succeed at Barça.
An ovation from Camp Nou in training
In an exceptionally full Camp Nou in August, despite the rain, Frenkie de Jong was also cheered by the supporters while he was warming up along the stands. Welcome encouragement for the Dutchman, who smiled then applauded in the direction of the public. On his Instagram account, he posted a simple photo of himself, without a caption. In comments we can read from supporters: “Please stay”, “Our best midfielder”, “Very good performance today, we continue together”.
On Twitter too, supporters compare the performances of the titular midfielder, namely Busquets, Gavi and Pedri, with that of the Dutchman. And according to many, Frenkie de Jong should start for the rest of the season. A video showing him walking around Dembélé with the ball also caused a stir with fans.