"Never seen such a big difference between one player and the rest" - Barcelona star on experience of playing alongside Lionel Messi

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong recently opened up about his experience of playing alongside Lionel Messi at the Spanish club. The Dutch midfielder has been on the books of La Blaugrana since leaving Ajax in the summer of 2019.

De Jong has endured a tumultuous spell at Barcelona in recent months as injuries left him sidelined for nearly half a year. The 27-year-old has featured just eight times in LaLiga this season and opened up on a number of topics with Voetbal International.

He revealed that he was mesmerized by Lionel Messi, pointing out that the Argentine great was levels above other players. He said:

"I’ve never seen such a big difference between one player and the rest. Whatever we did in training, Messi was the best, always. He sees solutions on the field that you as a coach cannot think of in advance."

Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong were teammates at the Camp Nou for just two seasons, the 2019-20 and 2020-21 terms, before the Argentine great left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). In those two seasons, La Blaugrana only managed to win one piece of silverware, the Copa del Rey in 2021.

De Jong is among the more experienced players in the Barcelona squad currently. The Dutchman has already accrued 226 competitive appearances for the Catalan giants, scoring 18 goals and providing 22 assists.

Agent hopes for Barcelona redemption for player once likened to Lionel Messi

Barcelona forward Ansu Fati's agent, Jorge Mendes said his client had the quality to represent the club for the years to come. The Spaniard has struggled with injuries in recent years and has been linked with an exit from the Catalan club, as a result.

Speaking with Mundo Deportivo, Mendes pointed out that while he did not wish for Fati to head out on loan, the final decision was ultimately on the club. He claimed that the forward just needed to find confidence and work his way past his injuries to reach his former level. He said (via Fabrizio Romano):

“Ansu Fati to leave on loan? Question for Barça but he has the level to play for them. He needs his confidence and to resolve his physical issues. Once he’s at 100%, Barça will need him. He’s a unique player.”

Fati broke out at Barcelona aged just 16 and was widely expected to be the heir to Lionel Messi. The Spaniard even received Messi's number ten shirt after the latter left the club, but has seen his career suffer in recent years. Injuries have limited Fati to just seven appearances this term.