22-year-old impres­sed as Ajax won the Erediv­isie title and reache­d the Champi­ons League semi-finals last season­BARCELONA: Rising Dutch star Frenkie de Jong said that Barcelona’s promise to make him a “key player” convinced him to sign for the Catalan giants earlier this year, as he was presented at the Camp Nou on Friday. The 22-year-old midfielder impressed as Ajax won the Eredivisie title and reached the Champions League semi-finals last season. Barcelona announced the signing of De Jong in January for a 75-million-euro ($84.3 million) fee on a five-year deal which started on July 1. “I considered my options, which was best for me, Barcelona came to see me, they convinced me…“The decision was easy for me. De Jong thinks that playing with the best players in the world, like five-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, will help him improve.

Source: The Express Tribune July 06, 2019 07:25 UTC