“I love this style: get the ball back quickly, then play possession with so many combinations. When you watch that, you get the feeling you want to go out on the pitch and play football with your friends and just enjoy yourself. City and Barcelona are great examples.”
“I try not to pay attention to talk of comparisons. I only want to focus on myself. It is good to hear that people are talking like that, but the truth is I am not at Cruyff’s level of talent, and I never will be, so it is not something I think about.”
“When I was in Barcelona, people thought I would join them, but that’s not the case. Everyone knows that I think Barcelona is a beautiful club, but I don’t know if I should see my career as a city trip.”
“Normally, midfielders only pass the ball, but I dribble as well.”
“I already watched Barcelona as a kid, and then, when I was a bit more aware of the game, you had the Guardiola era with all their successes. That turned me into an even bigger fan.”
“I’d love to play with Ajax against Barcelona.”
“I have always been a midfielder, and I remain a midfielder.”
“If you end up at a superior club, you will play with world-class players all over the pitch.”
“For me, honestly, I would like to play with Messi one day.”
“I think I was the last teenager to get WhatsApp.”
“Often I’d say I understood the coach, then do my own thing on the field.”
“It is nice to be the most expensive Dutchman, and it is nice for my agent and for Ajax. But it does not matter to me whether I cost â¬5m or â¬150m or â¬200m. I just need to make sure that I do my own thing.”
“When I am on the pitch, I play on intuition, but I think a lot about the game as well.”
“I like to watch the great players, the ones who are technically good and understand the game. I try to see how they move.”
“My quality is my intuition. I can’t just ignore that, can I? Then I’d be a player of whom there are a thousand of my age.”
“I try to have a picture when I receive the ball and know where everyone is. That’s one of the most important things for a midfielder.”
“Most good players play on intuition. Everyone has a little, but I don’t know if you can learn it.”
“Barcelona have always been a dream club for me.”
“It’s not like I am going to Barcelona as a tourist who is there to watch Messi in action. I am not going to say that I will bench Busquets or anything! But I think I have a good chance of getting plenty of minutes.”
“PSG would have been an excellent choice. They did everything to get me.”
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