OFFICIAL: Barcelona sign Luuk de Jong from Sevilla

Nicholas Hughes

Updated: 1 Sept 2021 09:08 BST
3 min read

Luuk De Jong is on the radar of Barcelona very late in the window — © ProShots

Barcelona have ended the summer transfer window by signing Dutch forward Luuk de Jong from Sevilla on loan.

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The 31-year-old joins on deadline day after Barcelona allowed Antoine Griezmann to return to Atletico Madrid.

However, a deal was not announced until the middle of the night.

Barca ultimately confirmed the deal when they posted: "FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC have reached an agreement for the loan of Luuk de Jong until 30 June 2022. The Club will pay the player's wages and have an option to make the deal permanent."

Talks of a move grew on the final day of the window with Saul’s departure from Atletico to Chelsea opening up movement on Barcelona’s end.

De Jong has had a hugely successful career in his native Netherlands, starting with De Graafschap before moving onto FC Twente, where he had a breakout 25-goal season in 2011/12.

He then moved on to Germany with Borussia Monchengladbach and to Newcastle in the Premier League, but returned to the Eredivisie after failing to secure a place at either club.

The goals returned as he signed for PSV, with an outstanding 28 league goals in 2018/19 earning him another shot at a big-five league with Sevilla.

Within a season, de Jong had become a hero for Sevilla after his man of the match display in the Europa League final against Inter, where he scored two goals in a 3-2 win.

Last season was a difficult one for him as he came off the bench more often than he started, scoring four times in La Liga.

De Jong reunited with Koeman at Barcelona

Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman has worked with de Jong previously during his time with the Dutch national team. De Jong is a 38-times capped international and has scored eight goals for his country.

Barcelona were due to play Sevilla after the international break, but the match has been postponed.

This means de Jong could debut in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, a competition in which he has scored nine times previously.

His La Liga debut could come in a home match against Granada, with the details for that fixture still to be announced by the league.