Back to the Aston Villa Newsfeed

Dirk Kuyt and Ron Vlaar lament Frenkie de Jong's Barcelona woes as ex-Aston Villa defender says £65m star 'plays like he has 50 kilos of POTATOES on his back' and that a move elsewhere would benefit the former Ajax man

Dirk Kuyt and Ron Vlaar have had their say on Frenkie de Jong's Barcelona struggles, as the former Aston Villa man claimed the midfielder 'plays like he has 50 kilos of potatoes on his back'.

De Jong, 24, is yet to hit the heights that convinced Barcelona to pay Ajax £65million for the playmaker's services in 2019, scoring 10 goals and providing 14 assists in 111 appearances.

The Dutchman was unable to inspire Barcelona to victory in the Champions League on Wednesday night, with their 3-0 defeat by Bayern Munich resulting in their elimination from the competition.