Ajax midfielder and Dutch national team Frenkie de Jong were officially announced as new Barcelona players. With a dowry of 75 million euros, Barca managed to secure a talent which Xavi claimed as similar to Sergio Busquet.
Frenkie will join Lionel Messi and friends next summer. He was permitted to end the season with Ajax, as a self-testing against Real Madrid in the big 16 of the Champions League.
With such expensive prices, and an ability to attract those caliber enthusiasts of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, the fans are wondering what is good about Frenkie De Jong?
When the announcement of Frenkie’s arrival arose, the Barcelona twitter account wrote, “New artists will come this summer.” Well, it is true that Frenkie looks like a kid who has just graduated from high school. The part of her hair looks fresh, and he smiles a lot.
But keep in mind, the charm of Frenkie is not just in his appearance. Dutch football fans have noted that Frenkie is very good at baiting. Moreover, he is also equipped with intelligence.
According to Panditfootball, Frenkie has at least two outstanding attributes. First, he likes to pass opponents by dribbling. The trick is done by rolling the ball very close to his feet. Frenkie looks like Messi.
Second, Frenkie has very precise pass accuracy. It is more interesting as his passes are mostly vertical, such a pass which aim to approach the opponent’s goal. The range of his pass that can also immediately reach the front line makes him has the same characteristics as Pirlo.
Besides that, there is an interesting fact that Frenkie’s coaches say about his position in playing football.
Peter Bosz, Frenkie’s first coach on the Ajax senior team, said that he was a defensive midfielder. Another thing with Dick Advocaat, who called him an attacking midfielder. Different from Jan Boogers, Frenkie’s coach at Willem II Tilburg who used to make Frenkie as a shadow attacker when he was a teenager.
According to the three coaches, Frenkie can play in three layers of midfield at once!
So, as a dribbler like Messi and a passer like Pirlo, Frenkie should have no difficulty in adapting to Barcelona’s playing style. And with his flexible playing position, he can immediately blend in with the Blaugrana midfield.
Next season, both Sergio Busquet and Ivan Rakitic, two Barca midfielders who have three heads, are getting anxious about Frenkie’s arrival. Their position can be displaced for the flexibility of Frenkie’s position.
Well, before watching Frenkie incarnate as a Barcelona metronome in the next season, we can watch Frenkie’s performance in the Nations League semi-final next June. He and the Dutch national team will face the England national team, dueling with established midfielders like Jordan Henderson or Eric Dier.
So, see you next season, Frenkie …
