Barcelona legend Xavier Hernandez has said that midfielder Frenkie de Jong isn’t valued enough at the club. The Dutchman has been at the Camp Nou since arriving from Ajax in the summer of 2019.
De Jong, 28, has played nearly 300 times across competitions for the Blaugrana, contributing 20 goals and 31 assists. That includes a goal and eight assists in 35 outings across competitions this season. That lone strike has come in 22 outings in La Liga, where the Blaugrana are 11 points clear at the top with five games left.
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The Dutch international is contracted to the Camp Nou till 2029, having spent seven full seasons at the club, including three under Xavi. However, the former Blaugrana boss reckons De Jong should be valued more than he currently is (as per Barca Times):
“I believe Frenkie de Jong is also a player who isn’t appreciated enough. I think these players resemble what I used to be like.”
Having recently returned from a hamstring injury, De Jong marked his return to action with an assist in a 4-1 La Liga home win over Espanyol earlier this month.
What’s next for Barcelona?
Barcelona are in the midst of a solid season despite their hopes of back-to-back domestic trebles ending with a Copa del Rey semi-final defeat to Atletico Madrid, who also eliminated the Blaugrana from the UEFA Champions League.
Nevertheless, Hansi Flick’s side look good to land successive La Liga titles, having capitalised on their closest rivals Real Madrid’s slip-up in a 1-1 draw at Real Betis with a 2-0 victory at Getafe.
With a near-unassailable 11-point lead atop the standings, the Blaugrana will clinch the title next weekend if they win at Osasuna on Saturday (May 2) and Los Blancos do not win at Espanyol the next day.
Barca had beaten the arch-rivals earlier this year in the Supercopa Espana final to successfully defend their title and will be confident of their chances of winning the La Liga title for the second time in as many seasons.
Edited by Bhargav
