PSV Eindhoven’s Luuk de Jong has spoken about his time at FC Barcelona, who he joined on loan in 2021 in the summer that Lionel Messi surprisingly left the club for Paris Saint-Germain. The Dutchman reported from the Barça dressing room that he was taking over from the Argentine.
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De Jong said The Guardian: “That was very strange. Of course I wasn’t the direct replacement for him. Nobody can replace Messi. I was the new center forward. But in the dressing room I was actually sitting in his seat. That was great.”
Coach Ronald Koeman really wanted to have his compatriot, but the coach was fired after a few weeks. De Jong had a tough time under Koeman’s successor We had a free kick. It doesn’t get any better than that. I’m really proud of that.”
In the summer of 2021, Lionel Messi was unable to agree on a contract extension with the financially struggling Catalans, so he then to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. Vom FC Sevilla holte Barça de Jong on loan basisas there was no money for expensive new signings.
After his loan from Barcelona, Sevilla gave de Jong to PSV Eindhoven for three million euros, where the striker had already played between 2014 and 2019. The 33-year-old has also played for FC Twente, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Newcastle United during his career.