From being on the verge of leaving Barcelona a year ago, Frenkie de Jong has come a long way. The 26-year-old slowly forced his way into Xavi Hernandez’s plans as the 2022-23 season progressed, and finished the season as one of the team’s most important players.
De Jong was one of the Catalans’ most consistent performers last season, both in terms of quality and fitness. With Sergio Busquets no longer at the club, his importance will only rise next term.
In a recent interview with Telegraaf, the Dutch midfielder spoke about his future at Barcelona, stating that he personally wished to stay at the club. Yet, he could not help but accept the volatile nature of the transfer market in the world of football.
“I feel good at Barcelona. If all goes well I will stay there. You can’t say anything 100% but I guess next season I will play for Barcelona.”
The 2022-23 season of the UEFA Champions League ended last weekend with a 1-0 win for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City as they coasted to their first-ever title in the competition’s history.
De Jong admitted that Barcelona too would be contenders next season but highlighted that a good team was never enough in the UCL.
“It is difficult to say when we will win the Champions League in Barcelona. We have a good team, although we need a few reinforcements. But the Champions League needs a bit of luck too.”
Speaking about the recent friendly game in Japan, the midfielder did not hold back on explaining the toll it took on the players. He explained the hectic tour saying:
“The trip to Japan was long and tiring. We traveled more than 30 hours and didn’t even stay there for 24 hours. Personally, we do not prefer such trips, but the club needs them, and in this case, we cannot say much.”
De Jong was asked about the hectic schedule footballers faced at the highest level. Speaking about the ever-burning topic, he explained the current situation with examples.
“Our schedule is crowded, there is also a match to determine 3/4 place in the Nations League, no one is waiting for this match, also there is a new version of the Champions League with more matches so that UEFA can collect more money.”
Finally, the midfielder revealed his disappointment over Lionel Messi’s return to Barcelona falling apart in the nth minute, saying,
“I think every team would like to have Lionel there, because he makes a difference anytime, anywhere. It’s a shame he didn’t come to Barcelona. I would have liked him there, would have found his return top-notch. We’ll now see who joins and who leaves.”
