Frenkie de Jong on Messi’s influence at Barcelona
Frenkie de Jong was signed by Barcelona in the summer of 2019 for a reported fee of around 75 million euros from Ajax Amsterdam. The former Ajax man rose to prominence in the 2018/19 season under Erik ten Hag and his admirable performances for Ajax helped the midfielder finish 7th in the FIFA “The Best award” along with a spot in the UEFA Team of the year.
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The 23-year-old Dutch midfielder was signed with a lot of expectations and hopes, former Barca player Xavi Hernandez had even tipped Frenkie de Jong to be the future star of Barcelona because of his style of play. However, the former Ajax man has struggled this season under both Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien.
Although admitting publicly to having a tough adaption period at the Camp Nou, Frenkie de Jong has also praised his teammate and captain, Lionel Messi, for all the support and guidance the Argentine forward has provided to the debutant player, according to Eldes marque.
Frenkie de Jong on an interview discussed how one must listen whenever Messi gives advice because he is by far the best player in the world and understands the game very well. The midfielder further discussed how during matches, Leo Messi advises Frenkie de Jong to either sit deep or to push further up whenever needed and it makes a huge difference for the midfield.
Apart from praising Lionel Messi and giving credit where it is due, Frenkie de Jong has also revealed the reason why he has had a tough start at Barca. The midfielder spoke about how he was used to playing with two double pivots at Ajax that provided him the freedom to shift around the midfield by defending and attacking equally, however, at Barca, it is a completely different tactical layout.
Frenkie de Jong has no regrets signing for Barcelona
The player admitted on the interview that he has no regrets signing for Barcelona despite the initial struggle and is eager to hit the ground running this weekend against RCD Mallorca who is currently in the relegation zone.
Quique Setien would have to win the remaining eleven games to ensure that the two-point lead over Real Madrid does not slip. Lionel Messi still remains doubtful for this weekend clash and the absence of the forward might play a crucial role for Real Madrid to overtake Barca if they drop three points at their away fixture.