The Dutch midfielder has shown significant improvement in the final third of the pitch lately, earning acclaims from his manager.
Frenkie De Jong has become a “more complete player” at FC Barcelona than when he was at Ajax, notes Ronald Koeman.
De Jong netted the crucial match-winner as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 2-1 at Campo de futbol de Vallecas to progress to the quarter-final stage in the Copa del Rey.
Lionel Messi had canceled out Fran Garcia’s second-half opener. De Jong then fired home from close range ten minutes from time to help his side complete the comeback.
The Dutchman has now scored four goals and registered two assists in his last six games across all competitions, and is increasingly becoming a mainstay in the Blaugrana team.
“We need him,” Koeman responded when questioned about his compatriot’s winner in Copa del Rey Round of 16 clash, via Marca. “We need the midfielders to be offensive.
“He has a lot of technical quality and he helps from deep. We’ve spoken to him about helping out in attack and scoring more than one goal a season.
“He’s a more complete player now than when he played for Ajax. He creates and scores more.”
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