This is how XAVI TURNED FRENKIE DE JONG INTO a MONSTER in BARCELONA!.

Frankie de Jong. Right now, he is one of the best midfielders in the world. Not only that, he is probably the most unique performer in his kind and position. But how did we get from the guy Barca dreamed of selling last summer to the main man who was destined to become a de Camp Nou? Let's find out in today's video. Press like if you support Barca and admire Frankie's game. Subscribe to Football Club, a channel of high-quality football journalism. And don't forget to write in the comments below from which city and country you are watching us. Without further ado, we proceed to begin. Back in 2018-19, Everton Hugs Ajax came real close to winning the Champions League, and Frankie de Jong was among the main stars of that incredible squad. Of course, he became one of the most desirable targets for many big clubs. The thrilling race unfolded between PSG and Barcelona, with the Catalans eventually winning in this difficult battle and forking out 86 million euros for the Dutchman's services. My choice of Barcelona was because they were the club who showed me the most love. The blown whisky to explain his choice. One may find the whole deal a true love story, which can only have a happy ending. Though, up until this season, Frankie had a reputation of a transfer that did not live up to expectations. Then came 2019-20. A total disaster for both Barca and a stellar newcomer, as not only the Catalans saw no silverware, they suffered the infamous 2-8 defeat to Bayern in a perfect synopsis of the entire season. De Jong tried to master the role of the left central midfielder, but the results were rather modest. Disappointing to say the least. 42 appearances to goals and 4 assists. Luckily, the 2020-21 campaign turned out to be a step forward for our hero with the arrival of Ronald Koeman, who perfectly knew all Frankie's strong qualities as Netherlands head coach. And indeed, under Koeman, De Jong revealed himself phenomenally. He played in different positions, a libero, a centre-back, a single defensive midfielder, and a central midfielder with the functionality of an attacking midfielder, often finding himself up front. As a result, we witnessed his significant progress, especially if we take a closer look at his statistics. 51 appearances, 7 goals and 9 assists. Frankie became one of the team's leaders, often called the club's second footballer after Messi. By the way, it was in the gap that the Dutchman lifted his first trophy with Barcelona, the Copa del Rey. Needless to say, the 2021-22 run was expected to be the peak one for the midfielder. But something completely opposite happened instead, a pure disappointment. When Xavi took charge of La Grana, everyone believed that he would immediately unveil Frankie's potential, so everyone would see the reason behind Barca paying almost 90 million euros for the land. But things were complicated. Another trophy last season and a step back compared to the previous. 40 appearances, 4 goals and 5 assists. In the summer of 2022, Barcelona openly attempted to get rid of Frankie for two reasons. The Dutchman could not fully display his talent at Camp Nou. Frankie had one of the highest salaries in the club, 37 million euros due to deferred payments. Thus, he was offered a lower salary, which De Jong did not accept. The situation got heated and nervous as possible. Frankie was deeply offended by the club and had no idea why they revealed salary details to the public. Nevertheless, the Dutchman clearly knew what was his priority. Despite Den Haag's pleas to join Manchester United, De Jong actually wanted to prove of him having what it takes to get back to the ranks of one of the team's leaders again. Frankie loved the city and the team itself, so it was painful for him to accept the new reality. Frankie kicked off the new season as a substitute, but what happened next shocked all football pundits. As for this moment, Frankie is one of Barcelona's key assets, one of the reasons for the Catalan's confident leadership in La Liga and victory in the Spanish Super Cup. De Jong methodically convinced Xavi of his need for this project. The deadlock was finally broken in mid-October during the match at the Santiago Bernabéu on October 16. Since then, the Dutchman has been a first-team regular. Prior to De Jong finally waking up after the World Cup tournament, it was then that Xavi transferred the team to a formation where Frankie felt like a fish in the water. Nominally the same 4-3-3, but turned into a hybrid formation with 3-5-2 in attack and 4-4-2 in defense. De Jong plays in the defensive midfield area alongside Sergio Busquets, while being allowed to link up in attack on a regular basis, sometimes even fighting himself up front. Here's a brief analysis of De Jong's place in Xavi Hernandez's new superteam. Xavi's Barcelona are a very fluid team who operate in a variety of shapes, depending on the phase of play. They start in a 4-2-4 from goalkeeps, with Frankie De Jong dropping deep alongside Busquets in the number 6 with Petri Hay as a situational split striker alongside Lewandowski. When Barca progress play out of the first phase, they transition into their traditional 4-3-3 shape. Barca transition from a 4-2-4 to a 4-3-3 to a 3-2-5 and even into a 3-1-6 at times in the final third when Frankie De Jong joins the attack. However, even when De Jong does join the attack, the inverted Koundé is present alongside Busquets to maintain compactness. We found the perfect position for Frankie De Jong. He is very happy, you can tell. Xavi claimed in a post-match interview against Sevilla, I have always liked Frankie De Jong. He is one of the players I used the most. Frankie De Jong possesses all the qualities that a Barca midfielder needs. He is one of the best players in the world. Xavi does not hide his impression of his squad members' current shape. And he really does. Frankie looks the happiest and most balanced version of himself since Ajax days. The Dutchman, in turn, is delighted with Xavi's updated tactical decisions. I like playing like this, with four midfielders. I feel comfortable, Frankie confessed. He playing with four midfielders is amazing, that gives him the freedom to go box-to-box. And this summarized the natural habit of the Frankie phenomenon in top football. Football bloggers are also talking en masse about De Jong's unbelievable progress. The way Frankie De Jong has gone from being transfer-listed to becoming a key and indisputable player for Xavi has been incredible. He has also performed consistently this season, which was lacking previously. Arguably, he is having his best season at the club since arriving. We quote the BarcaBus account. Frankie De Jong has been doing phenomenal for Barca this second half of the season. Flawless performances and very consistent as well. How Xavi is successfully managing to get the best out of Frankie De Jong isn't being talked about enough. Sure, Xavi's role in Frankie's progress is important to note. Moreover, the Spanish coach has already proven that he is capable of revealing the best qualities of his footballers. Now Dembele knows when to shoot. Gavi knows how to position. Pendry more involved between the lines. Got the best out of Busquets. Ter Stegen backed with his best. Araujo improved the ball playing. Xavi is cooking something lately, it's for sure. Right now, Frankie is delivering one grandmaster performance after another. For instance, check out his stats during the clash against Real Betis, where he was selected one of the best players. And here is his masterclass in a duel against Sevilla. And to top it off, an impressive heat map that shows how dominant Frankie is in his position at Barcelona. Xavi, you are a genius. Thanks for giving us this version of Frankie De Jong. Hit the like button if you also would like to thank Barcelona bus. By the way, Frankie will travel to Manchester but only as one of Barcelona's leaders. De Jong's girlfriend had a great joke about it. Folks, do you think Frankie is one of the best midfielders in the world right now? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Subscribe to our project if you enjoyed the video. Football Club is a channel of high-quality football journalism. Love football and see you next time!