Man Utd transfer target Frenkie de Jong ‘best player’ on pitch in Barcelona draw but Spanish press still slam him

FRENKIE DE JONG was hailed as Barcelona’s best player after their 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano – but the Spanish media still slated the midfielder.

De Jong’s been at the centre of a transfer battle between Manchester United and Chelsea this summer.

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Reuters

But the Spanish media wanted to know why it’s taken the midfielder three years to start performing with Chelsea and Man United chasing him[/caption]

Both Prem sides have been keen on recruiting the Dutch ace who hasn’t shared their enthusiasm over a move.

Despite the Prem pair’s resistance, De Jong’s made it clear he wants to stay with Barca and fight for his place.

Although he’s embroiled in a wages row with the Catalan giants who are demanding De Jong takes a 50 per cent pay cut if he wants to stay at the Nou camp – which he is allegedly refusing to do.

But the 25-year-old pushed all his personal issues to the back of his mind when he came on the pitch for Barca on the hour mark on Saturday night.

Despite being unable to break the deadlock against Vallecano, former Barca star Luis Garcia reckons De Jong was the club’s best player.

Garica waxed lyrical after the game: “The best one (on the pitch).

“I think he showed today, he wanted to show , “listen, I’m here, I wanted to do something, look what I can bring [to] the table.

“He definitely was one of the best players in the second half.”

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But the Spanish press weren’t impressed and questioned why De Jong’s hasn’t played at the same level in the past three years.

Mundo Deportivo wrote: “If Frenkie de Jong ends up leaving for Manchester United or Chelsea in these two remaining weeks of August, one will have to wonder why he did not compete in his first three seasons with the determination he is displaying now.

“It seems that feeling cornered by the club for financial reasons has freed the best Frenkie de Jong , the one who only saw the light on a few occasions. It’s all or nothing for him, he no longer has anything to lose.”

However, Barca fans still seem to revere De Jong and gave him a resounding applause when he came on the pitch.

And Marca suggest the warm gesture shows supporters still want him at the club.

It’s a far cry from when Barca’s fickle fans were hurling abuse at De Jong just days ago amid his wage dispute.