Barcelona secured a valuable 3-2 win in Germany against Borussia Dortmund in an exciting Champions League match, with Hansi Flick’s side showing their character and quality to secure three points in a difficult situation. However, not all the news was positive for the Catalans.
Frenkie de Jong’s performance once again left much to be desired. The Dutchman, who came on for the last 20 minutes, failed to take advantage of the opportunity to correct his course. On the contrary, his performance was once again subject to criticism. De Jong showed several negative points that did not go unnoticed by either the fans or the coaching staff.
In the short time he was on the pitch, De Jong made several mistakes that put Barcelona’s victory at risk, from losing the ball in dangerous areas to being slow in transitions and ineffective in one-on-one confrontations. His lack of precision and coordination in decisive moments was evident, which led some Barcelona fans, who had expressed their dissatisfaction on previous occasions, to point to him as one of the weakest links in the team.
Despite Hansi Flick’s continued public support for the player, the German coach is beginning to realize that his patience has its limits. Flick, who has tried to maintain De Jong’s trust so far, is beginning to feel that he can no longer rely on him at crucial moments of the season.
Talks are beginning to grow at Barcelona about the possibility of Frenkie de Jong leaving in the summer transfer window. Given the club’s need to balance its books and free up wages, the Dutchman, who is highly paid and lacks noticeable impact on the pitch, could be one of the players sacrificed. Additionally, De Jong is a player in demand in the European market, which could facilitate his transfer to another top team.
For now, Flick is keeping his statements diplomatic, but the reality in the dressing room is clear: De Jong is not part of the German coach’s plans for the future.
His performance against Dortmund was confirmation of a trend that has already been evident in recent months. All indications are that his time at Barcelona is coming to an end, and it seems that his departure has become inevitable.