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The Blaugrana have defeated PSG and Manchester City at the signing of Ajax 's ace, but where will they play this versatile midfielder?
Frenkie de Jong made a speaking confession excluding a move to Barcelona last summer.
"At the moment, I will be staying with Ajax for at least a year," said Ajax 's ace. "But I'd really like to play with Messi one day, he's already 31, so I have to hurry."
Thus, Wednesday's announcement that De Jong decided to join the Barca this summer is not surprising, even if the Catalans were forced to go all-in to overcome the fierce competition of Paris Saint-Germain and from Manchester City to the services of the Dutchman. .
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In the end, Josep Maria Bartomeu 's determination to find his man was decisive, the Barca president having been left out by Antoine Griezmann' s decision to stay at the Atletico Madrid. last summer rather than moving to Camp Nou.
As a result, he was willing to approve a huge $ 86 million deal that will also see De Jong, 21, earning a colossal salary of 16 million euros.
The obvious question now is whether the Dutch international will be worth the investment.
De Jong offers both quality and versatility, two very valuable features of the modern game.
It's a player who has been thrilling for everyone with his ability to move smoothly between defense and the midfield.
"I really think it's a revelation," said enthusiast Arie Haan, former star of Ajax and the Netherlands, after watching De Jong play at the back against PSV last season.
"Now you can laugh, but it's a better version of Franz Beckenbauer.People have to interpret that correctly, though.What I mean, it's that he also has the speed and that it pbades easily. These are huge weapons. "
Therefore, De Jong's ability to pull the ball out from behind would make him an attractive proposition for the defense center when the Barca will be faced with weaker teams likely to sit idly by (as they do). This is often the case in La Liga).
Playing De Jong alongside Gerard Pique or Samuel Umtiti would be almost like having an extra man in the middle of the field, a useful option and a clear advantage for the Barca if they ever needed to play an even more offensive game plan than D & B. # 39; habit.
However, it can not be denied that De Jong feels the most comfortable and that he is most effective as a deep midfielder.
"His style of play resembles Sergio Busquets," said Barcelona master Xavi last year.
De Jong is certainly aware of the comparisons, but he insisted on signing for the Blaugrana, "I'm not going to say that I'm going to put Busquets on the bench or whatever, but I think I have a good chance. to have a lot of minutes. "
This is undoubtedly. Busquets will be 31 by the start of next season and De Jong will be the obvious choice to anchor the midfielder whenever the Spanish international needs rest.
However, it is also clear that Barca identified him as the Catalan's long-term successor. Indeed, as Busquets, De Jong has this rare ability to improve the performance of those around him.
Gini Wijnaldum believes that Ronald Koeman's decision to base his midfield on the young player is the main reason for the recent resurgence of the Netherlands.
"With his dribbling, he still ensures a good defense liaison to the midfield and midfield at the attack," said the Liverpool star recently Voetbal International.
"He is always able to create space because he is a) always available and b) with his actions, he creates many situations.
"It forces the opponents to choose, they must get out of their position, lose their marker, which can automatically make room or give us a free man.
"It allows me to play my game more easily. I am someone who naturally likes to move.
"With Frenkie, I can play a lot more in possession of myself, so that in some situations I also get closer to the goal of the opponent." The goals against Germany and France are good examples.
"I can get there at the time, while it was a lot harder for me because I played a controlling role.
"Frenkie is so good."
So good, in fact, that he could just as well play a more offensive role alongside Busquets, either in the 4-4-2 that Valverde often rolled out last season, either in the clbadic 4-3- 3 from Barca.
Due to his excellent dribbling skills and his talent for the pbad, De Jong has already been deployed as offensive midfielder and former Barca badistant coach, Henk ten Cate, has the potential to be " a mixture of Deco and Xavi ".
Barca could very well use it in a similar role early in his career at Camp Nou, allowing him to continue his studies as a footballer working in tandem with Busquets.
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De Jong still has a lot of work – for example, he is always sometimes guilty of taking too much time.
However, he should certainly enjoy learning his trade from one of the greatest defensive midfielders the game has ever seen.
But maybe not as much as playing alongside Messi!
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