Chelsea are prepared to make a bid for Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong. (Image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images.)
According to a report in The Sun, former Tottenham Hotspur and Netherlands forward Rafael van der Vaart has slammed Barcelona’s ‘mafia’ treatment of Chelsea target Frenkie de Jong. Van der Vaart described the Spanish club’s behaviour as an act of crooks.
Chelsea and Manchester United have been close admirers of de Jong, who still prefers to stay at the Catalan club. The midfielder is still owed £14 million by Barcelona, who threatened to take legal action against him unless he backs down.
Van der Vaart didn’t minco words when asked about this situation. The Dutch legend mentioned that de Jong is entitled to the contract he signed with the club. Had there been any issue, it could have been handled in a better way.
“You can’t treat people like that. Frenkie earns too much? First you sign a contract and then you fulfil it or you go on good terms, but not like that. This is mafia and they must be punished.
De Jong is a quality player, who arrived at Barcelona from Ajax Amsterdam in 2019. He has made 141 appearances in all competitions since arriving at Camp Nou, scoring 13 goals and assisting 17.
He played under quite a few managers in that time, plying his trade across every position in midfield, and sometimes even played as a centre-back in a back three.
Treating someone this good of a player, who wants to stay at the club, so wrongly is a disgraceful act from Barcelona. The club president Joan Laporta should really look at himself in a mirror and find a more gentle way of dealing with the situation. Even if he wants the player out, there are better ways to do it.
With regards to de Jong, he has every reason to stand his ground and demand that Barcelona play him his dues. The Catalan club can blame only themselves for their mismanagement and should pay the price.
Chelsea should keep a close eye on the situation, as they have Champions League football to offer, unlike Manchester United. It looks like this saga will drag on till the final week of this transfer window.
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