Messi Told Me He is Happier Around Players Like Frenkie De Jong – Koeman

Paris Saint-Germain forward, Lionel Messi considers Frenkie de Jong a very fantastic and intelligent footballer, Ronald Koeman has said. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.

According to him, Messi once told him personally that he becomes happy when he is around a player like Frenkie because he wants to have pure football players around him.

Koeman added that the Argentine believes Frenkie can reach a higher level than he is right now.

His words, “When I arrived I told Frenkie: ‘This is your second season, you have to make a step higher now, you need to do more than just play along’. This sounds cruel, but he got the message.”

“I told him to take more responsibility. To arrive in the opponent’s box more.”

“During these conversations I also involved Messi. Messi told Frenkie that he is a fantastic player. He becomes happy around a player like Frenkie, because he wants to have pure football players around him.”

“When we talk with the three of us, Messi shares his opinion towards Frenkie. He always tries to activate him, as Messi believes that Frenkie can reach a much higher level. He finds him a very intelligent player.”