Frenkie de Jong compared to Declan Rice and Vitinha as Dutch legend explains what Barcelona star still lacks

Frenkie de Jong has never been short of admirers, but the Barcelona midfielder continues to divide opinion in the Netherlands. After recently hitting back at his critics, former Dutch international Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has weighed in on the debate, comparing De Jong to midfield stars Declan Rice and Vitinha while identifying the one area where he still needs to improve.

De Jong fires back at critics

Despite establishing himself as a key figure for both Barcelona and the Netherlands, De Jong remains a frequent target of criticism from sections of the Dutch media and fanbase.

The 29-year-old recently responded to those questioning his influence, suggesting many observers fail to appreciate the finer details of his game.

“I have the feeling that many people don’t understand anything about football,” De Jong said.

“They watch it, but they don’t understand it, so to speak. That’s not a bad thing, because it allows everyone to talk about it, but it’s the truth.

“I hear people say that I don’t give through passes, but that’s not true. They’re just not paying attention to the game.”

The midfielder also argued that Dutch football culture can sometimes be overly critical of its own players.

“I think that, in general, in the Netherlands we could value the players a little more. Of course, criticism is fine when someone doesn’t play well, but it is often exaggerated.”

Is De Jong in the same class as Rice and Vitinha?

The debate surrounding De Jong’s standing among Europe’s elite midfielders continues to rage.

Speaking exclusively to GOAL on behalf of 10bet, Hasselbaink acknowledged De Jong’s quality but admitted he currently places Arsenal star Rice slightly ahead of the Barcelona playmaker.

“He is a very good player,” Hasselbaink said.

“He is one of the main Dutch players and very important to the Netherlands national team.

“Personally, I do think that he’s a little bit behind Declan Rice, but that might just be because I see Declan Rice week in, week out in England and I don’t see De Jong every week.”

While Rice has earned widespread praise for his defensive dominance and leadership, Vitinha has become one of Europe’s most influential deep-lying playmakers with Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal.

De Jong’s strengths lie elsewhere, with his ball-carrying ability, positional intelligence and composure under pressure often making him the heartbeat of his teams.

The area De Jong must improve

Although Hasselbaink rates De Jong highly, he believes there is still one aspect of his game that could elevate him even further.

“From what he has shown me in midfield at the World Cup so far, sometimes he needs to move the ball a little quicker,” Hasselbaink explained.

“He holds onto it a little bit too long for my liking.

“But look, he’s a top, top-quality player who understands the game really, really well.”

The criticism is a familiar one. While De Jong’s ability to retain possession is widely admired, some observers believe he can occasionally slow attacks when quicker ball progression is required.

Why Barcelona was always the obvious choice

De Jong has spent seven successful years at Barcelona, making nearly 300 appearances and winning multiple domestic trophies.

Throughout that period, Manchester United repeatedly attempted to lure him to Old Trafford, but the Dutch midfielder consistently rejected those advances.

Hasselbaink believes the decision was inevitable.

“I think he’s an Ajax player at heart,” he said.

“Ajax has always had a soft spot for Barcelona because of the Johan Cruyff connection.

“He became the main man at Ajax at a very young age and Barcelona was always going to be his dream move.

“If you can make it at Barcelona, you want to stay there as long as possible. It’s very difficult to find a bigger step after that.”

A player still proving his worth

As the Netherlands continue their World Cup campaign, De Jong remains central to Ronald Koeman’s plans.

Whether supporters view him as an elite midfielder on the level of Rice and Vitinha or not, his influence within the Dutch setup remains undeniable.

And while the criticism may never completely disappear, De Jong appears more than willing to continue letting his performances do the talking.