Frenkie de Jong talks Lewandowski, Barcelona stay, reduced playing time

One of the most hotly debated topics at Barcelona in the summer was the future of Frenkie de Jong. The Dutch midfielder had several fans rallying for his continuity but an equal, or even greater number, calling for the club to sell him.

The start of the new season has not been easy for him as he is now the fourth-choice midfielder after Sergio Busquets, Gavi and Pedri. He has started just four of Barcelona’s eight games so far and averages sixty minutes per game.

While on duty with the Dutch international team, the former Ajax star spoke to the press about his club situation and the events that unfolded in the summer. Here are the snippets from his press conference ahead of the Netherlands’ upcoming UEFA Nations League matches.

De Jong first addressed the elephant in the room by saying that he never considered leaving Barcelona in the summer. “I always wanted to stay at Barcelona and this is why I always remained calm in the summer,” he said.

However, he was hesitant to give out much information about the exact events that took place around his potential exit. When asked about the transfer window, he said:

“I can’t give too many details. Barça have their own ideas and I have mine and sometimes they clash. But in the end, things went well.”

The Dutch international would undoubtedly prefer to be a regular starter at the club, but things have not been smooth for him this term. He spoke about his lack of minutes during the press conference and said:

“When I play less, I do notice it. Not really in terms of the technical aspect, because you still know how to play football, but more in terms of fitness.”

Finally, the midfielder commented on sharing the dressing room with Robert Lewandowski and spoke about what made him special.

“He is a really nice person. He is one of the best players in the world. Lewy is strong, he can hold the ball, his technical ability is really good, he makes a lot of runs and he scores a lot of goals,” de Jong said.