De Jong ‘pissed’ about Rayo substitution amidst exit rumours, should Barça be concerned?

Frenkie de Jong was left visibly frustrated after being taken off in the second half when his team was trailing against Rayo Vallecano at home, according to David Ibanez.

Barcelona suffered a humiliating third consecutive home defeat across all competitions, this time going down against a spirited Rayo Vallecano on Sunday. Despite heading into the game with a full-fledged line-up, Alvaro Garcia Rivera’s only goal made the difference.

By the time the clock hit the 60-minute mark, Xavi decided to bring in Nico Gonzalez in place of de Jong, which left the latter rather amused and shocked.

The manager’s decision certainly did not bid well with the midfielder who made everyone aware of his anger through a minor outburst. The former Ajax man was seen throwing his shin guards on the pitch and went directly to the dressing room rather than sitting on the bench.

In all fairness, the midfielder did look a little out of sort against a tricky opponent and the fact that he could only complete 40 passes during his 60 minutes is the perfect testament. 

Even his defensive contribution was on the lower, having completed a solitary tackle throughout his time.

Outburst amidst exit speculations

Frenkie de Jong’s little outburst on Sunday has added fuel to the fire of his exit speculations. 

With Erik ten Hag moving to Manchester United, reports have it that the Premier League giants will try to make a move for the midfielder, but as Jordi Cruyff recently said, the team has no intention of parting ways. 

“We are not going to sell Frenkie de Jong, he is a highly valued player within the club,” he told Movistar after the defeat.

Even manager Xavi looks upto de Jong as someone with a great future at Camp Nou.

“He’s very important, he has to mark an era at the club. He is at a very good level and must continue. He can be one of the best midfielders in the world in the future. If it were up to me, he would continue at Barcelona for many more years,” Xavi had said.