On-loan Barcelona forward Luuk de Jong has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven ahead of the summer window.
According to Dutch outlet Eindhovens Dagblad, as relayed by Mundo Deportivo, Luuk de Jong could be on his way back to the Netherlands this summer, with the on-loan Barcelona striker being chased by former club PSV Eindhoven.
Luuk de Jong spent five successful seasons at PSV between 2014 and 2019 after joining the club from German outfit Borussia Monchengladbach. He made 204 appearances for the Dutch giants, scoring 112 goals and setting up 56 more, in the process winning three Eredivisie titles.
De Jong moved to Spain in 2019, signing for Sevilla, but found it hard to recapture his PSV form for the Andalusian giants. After a couple of disappointing campaigns at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, the 31-year-old joined Barcelona on loan on the deadline day of the last summer transfer window as a replacement for Antoine Griezmann, who had left for Atletico Madrid.
De Jong’s signing was met with a lot of criticism as Barcelona fans were less than enthused with the Dutchman’s capture. His performances in the early parts of the 2021/22 campaign did little to change that opinion.
Upon Xavi Hernandez’s appointment as manager in November, de Jong was frozen out from the first-team roster and hardly featured under the Barcelona legend. However, a spate of injury issues at the turn of the year forced Xavi to call upon the 31-year-old, and the Dutch forward made the most of his chance.
De Jong went on to score some important goals in the next few weeks for Barcelona. But, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres arriving, his game-time did not see much improvement. And now that the season is nearing its end, the Catalan giants have decided not to sign the striker permanently.
Even though de Jong has scored seven goals in 29 games and added value as an option from the bench, Barcelona are unlikely to retain him beyond the ongoing campaign. The 31-year-old will be returning to Sevilla once his loan deal expires on June 30, following which he could be on the move again.
PSV Eindhoven have entered the fray for his signing. The Dutch giants are ready to pay a transfer fee for their former striker rather than waiting to sign him for free next year when his contract expires. With a prolonged stay at Camp Nou unlikely to materialise and de Jong not having any future at Sevilla, a return to PSV could be on the cards, although Atletico Madrid are also said to be interested.
