Frenkie de Jong: One of the world’s best, 4 years in the making
It’s been over 4 years since the Ajax prodigy joined Barcelona, in a high-profile transfer worth 75 Million Euros, and he has been subjected to a wide variety of praises and criticisms ever since. Some of them quite absurd, the others well deserved. But the general consensus is that he is a quality player, with a diverse skillset and a very high ceiling. And I’d like to argue he is one of the world’s best at the time of writing.
(Controversial opinion? For sure). .
In 2019, when he joined, Ernesto Valverde was at the helm of FC Barcelona, and Frenkie de Jong was the best midfielder in the Champions League. Expectations were high, and the exceptional talent was there for everyone to see. Valverde’s system at that time was somewhat traditional, often deploying a 4–3–3 formation with a midfield trio. De Jong primarily operated as a central midfielder in this system.
De Jong’s playing style, characterized by his composure on the ball, exceptional passing ability, and ability to break opposition lines with his dribbling, became a defining feature of Ajax’s approach. He often acted as a deep-lying playmaker, dictating the tempo of the game and orchestrating attacks from a deeper position. He showcased his versatility by playing in various midfield roles. Whether operating as a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder, or even contributing higher up the pitch, he adapted seamlessly to the team’s needs. Despite his more creative role, de Jong was not just an offensive force. He made valuable defensive contributions, showcasing his ability to win back possession through interceptions and tackles.
Barcelona didn’t quite get what they saw, though, mainly because Valverde’s system tended to prioritize defensive solidity, and as a result, de Jong was sometimes required to focus more on defensive duties rather than showcasing his attacking prowess. It limited his freedom to roam forward and participate in the attacking phase.
Midway through that season, Valverde was replaced by Quique Setien, and later on by Ronald Koeman, who worked with De Jong in the Dutch NT. Koeman’s arrival at Barcelona did help restore a lot of that creativity Frenkie was missing, but due to major injuries to key players, Ronald Koeman opted to play Frenkie in the defense as a ball-playing centre-back.
Koeman said, “The position he is playing now is different to the national team and Ajax. He’s learning to play further forward like this, it’s not all bad, but it’s not his best position. For me, I think he performs better playing deeper.”
In Barça’s first game of 2021 against Huesca, Frenkie was deployed as a right interior in a three-man midfield, alongside Busquets and Pedri. Having already played as an emergency centre-back and as a defensive midfielder, this was de Jong’s opportunity to play the farthest upfield that he had done so all season. Thankfully, he thrived immensely in this match, having great freedom to create and be involved in the run of play.
Throughout 2021, the star midfielder has played fourteen games in this newfound interior position, enjoying great success as a pivotal man to Barça’s creative play. Consequently, the Dutchman’s goal contribution output skyrocketed; in fourteen games playing as a central midfielder, de Jong scored six and assisted four — numbers that are incredible for any world-class midfielder.
In this position, de Jong was actively playing the role of a box-to-box midfielder, often being at the end of a Lionel Messi through-ball in the opposition box. He was becoming increasingly unpredictable and twice the workhorse he already had been for the Garnet and the Blue. It seemed that his best position had finally been found for Barça and that he would now be sticking to it.
Frenkie did have a great 2020/21 season, but questions were being asked. What is he exactly? Where does he thrive? How does he fit in? Everyone who saw him play agreed that he was a generational talent, if played in the perfect role, it’s just that there were multiple opinions on what that role actually was.
It’s been over 2 years since Xavi took over as manager of FC Barcelona, and he has tried Frenkie in different roles. To be honest, you really can’t pinpoint a position for De Jong because he’s extremely unpredictable and is a player of many talents. One match he drops deep and likes to build up from the back, the next match he controls the game and then in the next match he unblocks defenses with incisive runs.
Xavi: “Last season, Frenkie de Jong was already extremely good. But when you see him play now, he is one of the best players in the world. I am so happy with Frenkie. He has become a true personality.”
President Joan Laporta and his board reportedly accepted an €85 million offer for him from Manchester United in mid-July. Rather than taking much more money and the guarantee of being a starter, however, a then-benched De Jong dug his heels in, refused to move, and won his place back in Xavi’s first XI. He acknowledged that he nearly left Barcelona after a high-profile summer of transfer speculation in 2022. He admitted that he was aware of the criticism he so regularly received in his first few years at the club. But, crucially, he made it clear that he doesn’t ever want to play anywhere else.
Xavi had assured him he would be a great player if he stayed. There had long been a fascination with deploying De Jong as a deep-lying playmaker for his team — operating, effectively, as a long-term replacement for Busquets. But De Jong was never really going to be that player. Barca, Xavi realised, needed a more physical presence in the role. Instead, he carved out a new position for De Jong. He had thrived as part of a deep-lying double pivot at Ajax, functioning best with a more natural defensive presence alongside him. Frenkie in that “role” is so effective, he actually made Oriol Romeu look world class. All Romeu needs to do is to get the ball back using his physicality, and give it to Frenkie. (#TeraBhaiSambhaalLega)
Xavi seems to have figured out the key to using Frenkie effectively. Channel that unpredictability. If no one knows what his best position is, maybe don’t give him one. Let him loose on the field, he’ll know what to do. And that has been very evident this season. The main problem with him for 3 years was fitting a square peg in a round hole. The solution: don’t try to. He’s not the Busquets replacement we were looking for, and he never can be. He’s someone entirely different, and one of the world’s best at this moment. Barcelona look like a disarrayed mess without him, and there’s a reason why. When Frenkie de Jong is injured and sidelined from Barcelona, the team doesn’t perform well. In 16 games without De Jong, Barcelona has won six, drawn seven, and lost three. The team has scored 18 goals and allowed 13. Watch the games, you’ll know what omnipresence I’m talking about…
