Dutch journalist Valentijn Driessen said in a Telegraaf podcast that he isparticularly concerned about De Jong's situation at Barcelona, and the arrival of Rodri has made his future even more complicated. There is speculation that he may not be able to fulfill his contract with Barcelona.
The journalist said that De Jong has been injured many times, and Barcelona wanted to get rid of him in the past, and now they have signed Rodri. Driessen said he doesn't think De Jong will be immediately put on the transfer list if he is injured, but he believes this may be De Jong's last season at Barcelona.
Driessen believes that it is unlikely De Jong will continue to be a decisive player for Barcelona. De Jong originally wanted to play at Barcelona until retirement, but such treatment is only given to a very small number of players. Driessen also said that De Jong is not the kind of player who makes people think "he can play at Barcelona until he is 35," so it is highly likely that he will not end his career here.
The Dutch journalist also ruled out the possibility of De Jong and Rodri coexisting in the starting lineup. He said that players must continuously perform to stay on the field; if a top player in the same position joins, he cannot imagine the two playing at the same time. He further pointed out that De Jong needs to completely change his playing style, but he does not think this can be achieved.
He said that De Jong might try to play more offensively, but this is precisely the main criticism of him from the outside world, and De Jong has never really done that. De Jong is currently recovering from a knee injury, and it will be determined in the coming weeks whether he needs surgery, so he may be out for close to half a season. Barcelona has already signed Rodri to fill his role.
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