The Barcelona star has opened up on the influence of the Argentine icon’s move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Lionel Messi left Barcelona after 21 years to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free contract. The Argentinian star has struggled to find his feet at Parc des Prince.
However, Messi is not the only one who has gotten into trouble after the sensational summer move. Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong believes the Argentine’s departure has been a big blow for the Catalan side.
“I never took it into serious consideration, so when it happened it was a shock,” De Jong told The Guardian.
“It was a heavy blow for everyone. We still miss him.”
Several Spanish sources have linked De Jong with a move away from Barcelona amid his problems to adapt to Xavi Hernandez’s system. The Dutch midfielder admits he hoped for more in his first two years at the club but says he is happy at Camp Nou.
“I’m very happy I’m at Barcelona: from a young age I’ve wanted to be here,” De Jong added.
“So in that way, it has been a dream come true,
“But, of course, I would have liked to win more trophies than we did in my first two years. I expected more in that sense, let’s put it that way. But other than that, I’m very happy here and hopefully for many more years.”
Barcelona will return to La Liga action after their underwhelming draw against Napoli in the Europa League earlier this week. The Catalans will meet the Partenopei again in the second leg of their playoff tie on Thursday.
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