Dirk Kuyt and Ron Vlaar have had their say on Frenkie de Jong's Barcelona struggles, as the former Aston Villa man claimed the midfielder 'plays like he has 50 kilos of potatoes on his back'.
De Jong, 24, is yet to hit the heights that convinced Barcelona to pay Ajax £65million for the playmaker's services in 2019, scoring 10 goals and providing 14 assists in 111 appearances.
The Dutchman was unable to inspire Barcelona to victory in the Champions League on Wednesday night, with their 3-0 defeat by Bayern Munich resulting in their elimination from the competition.
And former Dutch internationals Kuyt and Vlaar have lamented De Jong's drop in form, with former Liverpool star Kuyt opining that the 24-year-old needs to redicover his attacking endeavour.
'Against Bayern he did not look for a moment to see if there was an opportunity to shoot,' he said on TV station RTL 7.
'I would love to see that, because he is and continues to be a fantastic player who belongs at the top of Europe. That starts with daring [to attack] and if anyone has audacity in his game it is Frenkie de Jong.
'His nature is always to change the game, but he is not looking for the position to score. '
Meanwhile, ex-Aston Villa defender Vlaar said that De Jong looks a man with huge weight on his shoulders, claiming that a move away from the Nou Camp would benefit the £65m man.
He said: 'De Jong now plays football like he has fifty kilos of potatoes on his back. You know what he can bring, but on this team it just doesn't show.
'I think he's totally out of place right now. A change? To another club? I think Frenkie would play football differently for a team like Bayern. '