Friday, November 12, 2021 at 8:41 PM• Dominic Mostert

Valentijn Driessen advises Luuk de Jong to return to PSV. The striker has not been able to play in Barcelona’s last three official games and it remains to be seen whether his prospects will improve under new manager Xavi. In the podcast Kick-Off shouts the football chief of The Telegraph recalling that PSV had already hoped for De Jong’s arrival in the summer and indicated that the club might have a better chance in the winter.

“I think that Luuk de Jong is working on his last month and a half at Barcelona. He will undoubtedly return to Seville. I think Barcelona will cancel the rental contract,” predicts the journalist. It remains to be seen whether De Jong will then finish the season at Sevilla or start elsewhere, such as in the Netherlands: “I think the latter, yes,” said Driessen. “PSV already wanted him last summer, but then he chose Barcelona. I can imagine something with that. You want to be under contract there, even if you don’t play.”

At PSV, the 31-year-old attacker could give his career a boost again, “He has played there a number of times, but has not lived up to it. At PSV he can just become a regular base customer and then you have more insight into the Dutch national team to go to the World Cup,” he points out. In the current international match, De Jong is not in the selection. “I don’t know if Louis van Gaal wants to take both Weghorst and De Jong to the World Cup. I think he will bring one pinch hitter. Those two will have to fight it out. At the moment, Weghorst is in pole position.”

Wim Kieft says in his column for The Telegraph to understand that Van Gaal currently prefers Weghorst, who seems to be the first choice again in the striker at VfL Wolfsburg after the departure of Mark van Bommel. “While in the end De Jong has more qualities to act as a pinch hitter than Weghorst,” says Kieft. “He is one of the best headers and if you use him as a substitute in the final phase of an international match, he can make the difference. At Sevilla, Luuk de Jong has proven that several times, but occupies the number 9 position at a top club “If Barcelona is really too ambitious for him. If De Jong wants to keep a view of the World Cup, it is wise to move in January.”