Luuk de Jong says goodbye to Barcelona

Luuk de Jong has sent out a goodbye message to Barcelona as he leaves the club after a season-long loan.

The Dutchman’s deal expires today which means he will be heading back to parent club Sevilla for now, although it’s expected he will be on the move again.

De Jong admits it’s been a “special time” at Barcelona and he’s wishing the club all the best for the future.

The Dutchman was brought to Barca on loan by Ronald Koeman in a move which was widely derided last summer. However, De Jong managed to win supporters around and proved a useful squad member.

De Jong ended the season with seven goal in 29 matches for Barcelona which is a decent return, particularly when you consider most of his appearances were off the bench and he only actually played 719 minutes.

He also tended to score pretty important goals.

Xavi singled out De Jong for praise in the second half of the season, describing him as an “example” for his ability to get on and do the job with no complaints.

De Jong will also be remembered for almost scoring a couple of crackers. He hit the woodwork with a bicycle kick and also went close with a scorpion kick against Granada.

It’s not clear yet where De Jong is heading but PSV manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has already said he is keen to bring the 31-year-old back to the Eredivisie club.

Goodbye and good luck to Luuk de Jong!