Frenkie de Jong has been held back by mental click at Barcelona – dressing room source | OneFootball

Barcelona finally appear to be getting the best out of Frenkie de Jong. While it has only been two months sustained form in which the Dutchman has looked like a fluid part of the Hansi Flick system, it is undoubtedly the best he has looked in a Barcelona shirt. Months on from what looked like an inevitable departure this summer, his future may well be in the Catalan capital after all.

The Blaugrana have reportedly offered him a new deal which will maintain his salary at the same level, and both parties appear to be keen to prolong what is now a six-year stay at the club. De Jong has just a year left on his contract this summer, and if they cannot reach an agreement, Barcelona will likely still look to sell him.

His recent form appears to have convinced many that he is at least finding the form that his promise suggested when he left Ajax though. According to an article by Relevo, in which they reference a dressing room source, de Jong perhaps lacked a little of the ambition needed to get the best out of himself, and believe in his own ability. Referred to by several players over the years as one of the most impressive in training, ‘if he believed as much, he would be a top player’.

Image via Alex Caparros/Getty Images

They also question his Northern European mentality, described as cold, and whether the culture of self-criticism perhaps has not helped his development. However it is the belief of Hansi Flick that is cited as the decisive factor in his turnaround. The German coach was committed to rehabilitating de Jong, and despite Marc Casado’s excellent form until that point, began starting the Dutchman in January.

Since, de Jong has made a starting spot his own next to Pedri in midfield. More demanding tests are on the way in both La Liga and the Champions League, as Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid loom in the month of April. However the lack of panic over the injury to Casado, likely ruling him out for the rest of the season, is a sign of just how much progress de Jong has made.