"He doesn't even come close to Afellay"... They aren't the same style player as Afellay is more of a winger. De Jong & Blind are better than "just decent" players like you were condescending, they possess all the qualities to make that next leap into World Class.
Blind had a breakthrough year and I can already see he'd be a fantastic replacement for Abidal. Tall, strong, defensive minded, great positioning, excellent passer, rocket of a left foot. De Jong is a natural leader and was a clear standout in the CL Group stage especially against Man City & Dortmund. He's a selfless/versatile player and I agree with KluivertsBoots that he could thrive in a more disciplined (Xavi) role.
Sorry, but I find that so wrong. I watch the Eredivisie and PSV is my club domestically. Afellay never was a winger, but an attacking midfielder. The fact he played at Barcelona as a winger and at the Holland team was because the midfield was packed with quality. Sneijder, Van der Vaart, Xavi, Iniesta and so on.
Blind has had a breakthrough year, but he is not tall with his 180cm. 'Rocket of a left foot' is an exaggeration, and a big one too.
De Jong at Barcelona? Oh come on. He does not dominate at Ajax and in the Eredivisie. Of course you don't need 11 dominant players, but there is a reason he is still at Ajax; not good enough for TOP level. I think he would thrive best in a midtable PL team or subtop in the Bundesliga.
I am not a fan of Ajax but indeed the basics are the same throughout the club as with Barcelona, so that is a positive thing. But to try and get a couple of players from Ajax and believing they are quality for Barcelona, absolutely not. But we can always agree to disagree
'. He doesn't even come close to the skiillset that Afellay possessed when he left PSV.
