Rafael van der Vaart believes Frenkie de Jong’s best route back to top form runs through Amsterdam, not Barcelona.
The former Real Madrid star used a conversation with AS to make the case for a return to Ajax, praising De Jong’s recent performance for the Netherlands while flagging a deeper concern.
Softfootball understands Van der Vaart’s worry centers on De Jong’s fitness rather than his form, telling AS:
He played a fantastic match although he can and should be even better. He has achieved many things, but now he has to stay in shape. He is a fantastic player from whom we will benefit enormously. If it were up to me, I would tell him to go home. He doesn’t need any more trips. He has to be careful with that ankle. It’s quite dangerous.
Whether De Jong takes the advice remains to be seen, but the message from one of Dutch football’s respected voices is hard to ignore
