A year since the announcement of the signing of De Jong
On 23 January 2019 FC Barcelona officially announced the arrival of Frenkie de Jong in the month of July of 2019. President Josep Maria Bartomeu and CEO Òscar Grau were in charge of closing the deal in Amsterdam for a fee of 75 million euros and the Dutchman signed a five year contract to tie him to the Club until June 2024.
Meanwhile, De Jong continued his excellent season with Ajax Amsterdam in which he helped the Dutch giants to the league and Cup double in Holland as well as a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League, knocking out Real Madrid and Juventus on the way. The midfielder's performances did not go unnoticed and he was named Best Young Player in the Eredivisie, Best Young Dutch Player and Best UEFA Midfielder.
The wait for Barça fans was a long one but on 5 July De Jong was presented officially in front of almost 20,000 fans at Camp Nou, stepping out on to the pitch in a Barça shirt for the first time.
Since his debut for Barça on 16 August against Athletic Club de Bilbao in San Mamés, the Dutchman number 21 has made 27 appearances, scoring once (against Valencia) and he has provided two assists. The midfielder has won himself a place in the starting 11 and has appeared in every game this season with the exception of the league fixture against Granada for which he was suspended
At just 22 years of age, De Jong's future looks bright. His vision, versatility and his ability on the ball mean that he is one of the most promising midfield talents in the game. Of the midfielders who have made more than 1,000 passes in Europe's top five leagues, De Jong's success rate of 93% is the best along with Real Madrid's Toni Kroos.
