Why I picked Barcelona – Frenkie de Jong

Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong has revealed his excitement at teaming up with ‘greatest player ever' Lionel Messi at Barcelona in the summer.

The Netherlands international signed for the Catalan giants in a €75m deal in last month's window, and will join up with his new teammates at Camp Nou for the beginning of next season.

Having developed into one of European football's most exciting talents, De Jong shared his delight at moving to Barcelona and playing alongside ​Messi. Speaking to the ​club's official website, he revealed: “I am excited (to play with Messi), I'm looking forward to it. In my opinion, he is the greatest player ever.

“It's difficult to define him. I think he is the most complete player. He can do everything with the ball and without, he creates a lot of chances, his left foot is amazing and he's so smart, just from another level.”

Despite being linked with a move to ​Premier League champions ​Manchester City and French giants Paris Saint-Germain, De Jong admitted that Barcelona was always his preferred destination.

The 21-year-old added: “I always dreamed of Barca as a kid. I just wanted to play for Barca. I liked the players, I liked the style. I think Barca is a bit of my dream club. My dream is to become an important player for ​Barcelona, I hope I can become a starter, and to win a lot of trophies with Barcelona. Those are my goals at the moment.”