Barcelona star hails Corinthians striker, follows Brasileirão matches | OneFootball

Following Barcelona's victory over Newcastle in England, in the first round of the Champions League, Frenkie De Jong commented on Memphis, his Dutch national team colleague who currently plays for Corinthians. The Catalan club's midfielder was asked whether the Dutch have been following the striker's performance in Brazil and revealed that he himself has started watching Brazilian football.

"I think so (the Dutch are watching the Brazilian league), because Memphis has a lot of influence. Shortly after he signed (with Corinthians), a Dutch broadcaster bought the rights to the games. I watch when I can, even though it's quite late for us," De Jong told TNT Sports in the mixed zone at St. James’ Park.

Photo: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

It's worth noting that, in 2023, shortly after the striker's arrival, Corinthians negotiated the broadcasting rights of their home games in the Brazilian Championship with ESPN in the Netherlands.

A regular in Ronald Koeman's call-ups, De Jong emphasized that Memphis' move to Brazilian football does not mean a step back in his career. On the contrary: the Barcelona player made a point of praising the quality of national football and the importance of the Corinthians' number 10.

"Brazilian football has quality, a great atmosphere, very good stadiums and a lot of talent. I think Memphis is doing very well. He just became the top scorer of the Dutch national team, which is a great achievement, considering the strikers we've had. He is also the assist leader. He's a high-level player, I'm happy for him and I hope he continues like this," he praised.

In the last FIFA date, Memphis achieved historic marks. Against Lithuania, in the sixth round of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, he scored two goals, surpassing Robin Van Persie and becoming the top scorer in the history of the Dutch national team, with 52 goals. He also leads in assists, with 33, ahead of established names like Huntelaar, Kluivert, Bergkamp, Robben and Van Persie himself.

At Corinthians, the striker quickly built a connection with the fans. In just one year at the club, he has played 52 matches (42 as a starter), with 15 goals and 14 assists. According to De Jong, Memphis' impressions of Brazil are very positive. "Yes, yes (he speaks well of Brazil). As far as I know, he is very happy in Brazil, he likes it a lot," the midfielder concluded.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.