"I'll enter my first stage of grief" "Not ready for the pain" - Barcelona fans fear 25-year-old could be playing his last game for the club against Villarreal
Barcelona fans are worried that their La Liga clash against Villarreal at Camp Nou on Sunday, May 22, could be Frenkie de Jong's last game for the Blaugrana.
The star has been a consistent presence in Xavi Hernandez's midfield, having played 10 games out of their last 12 in the last two months. Although the star's contract at Camp Nou was set to last till 2026, it looks like he may be on the way out of the club, with reported strong interest from Manchester United.
If he does move to Old Trafford during the summer, this will be his last game for Barcelona, and the fans are understandably sad.
They took to Twitter to react to the midfielder's presence in the lineup, and here is a selection of tweets in that regard:
@BarcaUniversal Really is frenkie last game isnt it π’
This better not be the last time I see Frenkie in a Barcelona jersey
Frenkie De jong removed FC Barcelona from his Instagram bio ππ
He may have just confirmed that he is leaving π’π’
#FCBarcelona #dejong #FrenkieDeJong #Barca #Barcelona #LaLigaSantander #LaLiga https://t.co/hu6rokHztp
Whatever happens after tonight, We love you Frenkie β€οΈπ https://t.co/EZLjf9tOEB
twitter.com/theeuropeanladβ¦
Frenkie last game π twitter.com/theeuropeanladβ¦
if i see frenkie crying at full time then iβll enter my first stage of grief
If Frenkie De jong somehow join this conference league team then we should assume that there is no knock and no different pull in whta Arsenal does in transfer
I'm not teady for the pain if Frenkie leaves after today. Please God no !
Barca have already qualified for the Champions League and will end the season in second place, irrespective of the result of their Villarreal match. However, manager Xavi Hernandez will want to finish the season on a good note, and if this is De Jong's last game for the side, the star will want to finish on a high too.
Do Barcelona need Robert Lewandowski?
Ahead of the summer window, all indications point to Bayern Munich marksman Robert Lewandowski joining the Camp Nou, and the club have made contact (as per Goal). But does the Blaugrana need him?
Barca have grown in leaps and bounds under the guidance of manager Xavi Hernandez and the watchful eye of president Joan Laporta. The club were in dire straits - both fiscally and on the pitch - and Lionel Messi's exit seemed to throw everything into disarray.
However, it seems like Barcelona are back on the right track, having sought out previous players like Dani Alves. They've also had a rather fascinating winter transfer window, which saw them snatch up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Adama Traore, and Ferran Torres. They also let Philippe Coutinho leave on loan, and they don't seem to be missing him.
Since Xavi joined Barcelona back in November, he has guided them to qualify for the Champions League, and they currently sit in second place in the La Liga table. They have scored seven goals in their last four games, and they don't look like slowing down either.
Lewandowski arguably offers the experience and capacity for prolific goalscoring, but he has mostly been tried and tested in the Bundesliga. With players like Aubameyang, who has four goals in his last eight league games, flourishing, is there a need for yet another striker?
Lewandowski could arguably offer more, as the star has scored fifty goals for Bayern Munich this season, with 34 goals in 35 Bundesliga appearances. He could be the final piece of the puzzle at Camp Nou, even if it will only be for a few seasons, as the star is already in the latter years of his career.
With a squad already comprising of nearly ten attackers, Barcelona will need to sell off a number of players if they are to bring in yet another forward.