“Culers, what a special time it was” – Forward sends parting message to Barcelona fans as he confirms Camp Nou exit
Barcelona forward Luuk de Jong has confirmed his return to Sevilla after his loan spell with the Catalans ended.
The 31-year-old made his departure known on social media and thanked fans of the Blaugrana for the memories they shared while wishing them well for the future. He tweeted in Catalan, Spanish and English on his official Twitter handle. He wrote:
"Culers, what a special time it was... I wish you all the best in the future!"
Culers, ha estat un viatge especial… Us desitjo el millor en el futur! 💙
Culers, what a special time it was... I wish you all the best in the future! ❤️
Culers, ha sido un viaje especial… Os deseo lo mejor en el futuro! 💙 https://t.co/pnxRSkKJOS
Luuk de Jong began his professional career with De Grafschap and spent one season with the club before joining Twente. Three years later, he was off to the Bundesliga to represent Borussia Monchengladbach before a disappointing six-month loan spell with Newcastle United.
A move to PSV brought out the best in the Netherlands international. He scored 112 goals and provided 56 assists in 204 matches in all competitions for the Eindhoven outfit. De Jong's displays convinced Sevilla to sign him in the summer of 2020.
He played a starring role in guiding the Andalusians to victory in the UEFA Europa League that season. Luuk de Jong scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in the semi-final before scoring a brace in a 3-1 win over Inter Milan in the final. For the latter, he was named the 'Man of the Match' in the final.
The Dutchman joined Barcelona on a season-long loan in August of 2021. His time at Camp Nou saw him score seven goals and provide one assist in 27 matches in all competitions.
Luuk de Jong will be looking to break into the Sevilla starting lineup following his Barcelona spell
Luuk de Jong did not live up to expectations in his first two seasons at Sevilla and scored just four goals in La Liga in the 2020-21 season.
His inconsistency in front of goal saw him lose his place in the starting lineup, with Julen Lopetegui preferring to use Youssef En-Nesyri up front. However, the Morocco international failed to build on his 24-goal output from two seasons ago and scored just five goals in all competitions last term.
Look who was at Camp Nou today 👀
@MannyPacquiao https://t.co/01dPQcYJXS
Luuk de Jong's Barcelona loan spell was also underwhelming as he made just six starts in the league for the Catalans.
The Netherlands international will hope to hit the ground running on his return to the Sanchez Pizjuan. He will want to stake a claim to be Lopetegui's first-choice centre-forward next season.