Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has praised Netherlands teammate Frenkie de Jong following his performance in their country’s win over Belgium on Friday night.
Barcelona star De Jong, who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United this summer to link up with ex-Ajax boss Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, impressed for the Dutch national side in their 4-1 win over Belgium in Brussels, providing the assist for Steven Bergwijn’s opening goal of the game.
Reports suggest United are continuing to pursue a move for De Jong as Ten Hag gets to work on strengthening his side. And Van Dijk’s glowing praise for the Barcelona man serves as a ringing endorsement for their transfer strategy.
“[Steven] Bergwijn was incredible, [Steven] Berghuis too,” Van Dijk told NOS Sport after the win in Belgium. “Memphis [Depay] was excellent. Frenkie [De Jong]… well, he always plays well in my eyes.”
Van Dijk’s thoughts on De Jong’s display were also echoed by Dutch manager and former United boss Louis van Gaal, who like Van Dijk, feels that De Jong always impresses when playing on the international stage for the Netherlands.
“Frenkie always plays well for the national team. We try to play him to his strengths,” said Van Gaal. “It is always a victory for the collective, but there are people who can excel in the collective which is of course great.
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“There are always stars in certain matches, but in this one, Frenkie de Jong and Steven Bergwijn, that was incredible how those two played.”
De Jong has been at Barcelona since 2019, first joining them from Ajax for a fee of €75 million (£64.4m), leaving the Dutch side shortly after helping them reach the semi-finals of the 2018/19 Champions League before losing to Tottenham Hotspur.
While at Barcelona, De Jong has played 140 times for Xavi’s side in all competitions, scoring 13 goals and helping them to win the Copa del Rey in the 2020/21 campaign.
De Jong’s links have touted him to be a new addition in Man United’s midfield aiming to spark a new era at the club under incoming former Ajax boss Ten Hag.
Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard have all had their exits confirmed from Old Trafford this summer following the expiration of contracts this summer.
Donny van de Beek spent part of last season on loan at Everton, but could be in for an improved role next season as he, like De Jong, flourished under Ten Hag during their time together at Ajax.
