Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong has expressed regret that he is no longer playing with former Ajax teammate Matthijs De Ligt.
The two remain together for the Dutch national side but De Ligt did not follow the central midfielder to the Camp Nou this summer, instead moving to Italian champions Juventus in a €75m deal.
It had been widely speculated that the central defender would join the ranks at the Blaugrana this campaign but instead he made the switch to Turin.
Now De Jong has publicly expressed his regret, for the first time, in De Ligt’s decision to opt for a move to Italy rather than the Catalan capital.
“I haven't seen every game and I can't analyse everything. I watched his games against Fiorentina and Atlético and I think he is playing well,” De Jong told Gazzetta dello Sport when quizzed on his former club teammate, as cited by El Mundo Deportivo.
“He has had a good start, he is still very young and is already like a star in Juventus. Of course I would like to have played with him at Barça, but it was his decision.”
De Ligt has now started six games for the Old Lady this campaign and is being given an extended run in the team following an injury to Giorgio Chiellini.
