BARCELONA have terminated the contract of Mike van Beijnen, the son of Frenkie de Jong’s agent, without him playing a single minute for the team.
The youngster is said to have left Barca and joined Turkish Super Lig side Gençlerbirligi after struggling to find his feet in Spain.
Frenki de Jong joined Barcelona in a £65million deal last summer.Credit: Getty Images – Getty
It was van Beijnen’s father and agent, Ali Dursun, who brokered the £65million deal that saw Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong join Barcelona last summer.
In addition to signing the 22-year-old midfielder, the Spanish giants awarded a two-year contract to van Beijnen.
The deal, lasting until 2021 was created with a buyout clause at £89million despite the youngster only playing for the Dutch team’s Under-21 side nine times.
While van Beijnen’s move to Barca may not have been as successful as Dursun would liked, he has seen positive results from previous deals, including Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof, who signed for the Red Devils in a £31m deal from Benfica in 2017.
His other clients include Leipzig winger Emil Forsberg, Leicester star Daniel Amartey and former Manchester City forward John Guidetti.
Whilst his biggest success of 2019 came from De Jong.
De Jong was already regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, having helped Ajax to the Champions League semi-final last season.
The 22-year-old slotted straight into former manager Ernesto Valverde’s side, starting 23 games with one goal and two assists to his name.
He is likely to flourish under newly appointed Quique Setién’s management, with his 92.7 per cent pass completion rate making him a great fit for the playing style Barcelona is looking to create.
de Jong’s season at Barcelona has confirmed why he is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world.Credit: Getty – Contributor
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk