Barcelona were one of the busiest clubs on the transfer window deadline day as they were in continuous negotiations with Atletico Madrid for the departure of Antoine Griezmann and in touch with Sevilla for bringing Luuk de Jong.
Ronald Koeman had insisted that he wanted to add a striker to the ranks and despite Barcelona’s delicate condition in terms of finances and operability. Joan Laporta and his team did a magnificent job in offloading Griezmann and getting rid of the hefty wages and bonuses that the Frenchman was pocketing. In came, Luuk de Jong, as his replacement, on loan a simple from Sevilla where Barca will not pay a single penny in loan fee but simply cover the player’s wages.
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Manager Koeman knows the striker well as the duo worked together in the Holland national team, making 10 appearances for the Oranje under the 58-year-old boss. The 31-year old’s transition into Barcelona will be helped by the presence of fellow countrymen Memphis Depay who already seems settled in the locker room and in the first team dynamics.
Furthermore, the forward will also get help from his namesake, Frenkie de Jong. Luuk also shared the dressing room with Marc-Andre ter Stegen at Borussia Monchengladbach; hence, he won’t find many difficulties in adjusting to the new surroundings.
When it comes to adapting to the game and style of Barcelona, it’s a whole different ball game and it won’t be a rosy road. Yet, his arrival does offer some unique qualities in the forward line which Barca can make use of.
Here are 3 things Luuk de Jong can offer to Barcelona:
1. Aerial threat and physical prowess
The arrival of Luuk de Jong at Barcelona provides the Catalans with a player who is highly competent and effective in the air. He poses a real aerial threat, especially in the opposition goal area.
His 6-feet 2-inch figure makes him a typical towering centre forward who performs the role of a target man in the box. His dominance in the air is unmatched and probably his strongest asset. In tight games, a player like Luuk can be extremely effective especially when crosses are speared into the box.
Barcelona have always struggled to score goals through corners or headed goals through set-pieces. For free kicks, Barca once had the alienism of Messi who magically put the ball through the net, scoring most astonishing free kicks. Sadly, that sight will now only appear in Youtube compilations and montages. Now, the Blaugrana will have to attack the ball from set-pieces and the Dutchman will always be a prime target for the crosser when he’s on the pitch.
The former Newcastle man is also physically astute and can weather the opponent’s pressure while keeping hold of the ball. His decent passing skills enable him to find the right man while moving forward with the attack.
When Luuk is around, Barcelona wingers or fullbacks do not need to limit their deliveries in the box, he’ll pounce on the ball on the ground, air or rise over the top of defenders and attempt a headed shot. He averaged 1.1 headed shots per 90 minutes last season in La Liga, fifth in the table for this particular attribute.
Meanwhile, his headed shot on target per 90 stands at 0.36, again only bettered by four players in La Liga. The Dutchman offers typical characteristics that other Barcelona forwards might not possess in totality.
2. Not your ideal Barcelona forward
Barcelona usually does not sign a striker simply based on burly nature and for being physically judicious. What they look for is the technical skillsets and the ability to blend into Barcelona’s style. Forwards with the ability to build-up play and be part of an attack rather than just being active in the goal area are some of the prerequisites for being the Barcelona striker.
Luuk de Jong is not the archetypal Barcelona striker; he’s admitted it himself, in his first interview as a Barcelona player. Luuk won’t be a regular starter. He’s aware of the fact but he knows he can bring something different to this Barcelona attack.
"“There are lots of different forwards here, but I’m tall and I’m good with my head. I know I won’t play all the time, but I have a good relationship with Koeman from playing for Holland, and he’ll know when he needs a player like me who’s good in the air.” (via club’s official website)"
In recent years, Barcelona have made such against the flow transfers which have yielded respectable results. Arturo Vidal was signed from Bayern Munich. The Chilean warrior was not a silky passer of the ball or he didn’t perform Cruyff turns or thread defense splitting through balls. His credentials made him a unique Barca signing.
Offering physicality and that undying never giving up attitude along with arrogance that was needed in the middle of the park. He might have struggled to adjust to Barcelona ways but when he was on the pitch, he unleashed his combatant attitude and certainly gave an X-factor to the team.
Luuk de Jong suits a more direct style of play and he’ll be hoping that despite having a different set of qualities to an ideal Barcelona forward, he can thrive and make an impact.
3. Squad Depth
Barcelona now have solid depth in the striking area. Martin Braithwaite, Sergio Aguero and Luuk de Jong are outright strikers with Memphis Depay capable to play as a No.9 as well as on the wings, as an inside forward. When Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembele return, the Barcelona strike force is going to be fearsome.
Ideally, while playing a front three, Depay, Dembele and Fati will be the starters but Koeman could turn to any of his strikers as per the situation in the game. In tight games where teams defend deep and penetration is not easy, crossing from the flanks becomes an alternative or taking long-range shots.
In both cases, de Jong can come to the rescue. Most recently, in the game against Athletic Bilbao which ended in a 1-1 draw, the presence of a player like Luuk would’ve made a big difference in the culminating stages of the game.
When Barcelona are a goal down, adding an extra striker can often pay dividends and Luuk de Jong can be entrusted with his aerial prowess to make a difference as balls are bombarded in the box. It’s now up to Koeman how he man-manages the squad especially the attack as now he has a plethora of options to choose from.
The arrival of Luuk de Jong on a harmless loan is a positive. Even if he fails to win the confidence of the Barcelona faithful, at the end of the season, he can shake hands and return back to Sevilla and if he manages to score some goals that can make the fans jump off their seats, his name will be remembered for years to come.
Will Luuk de Jong prove to be a successful signing for the Blaugrana?