Barcelona confirm transfer for former Newcastle flop Luuk de Jong to replace Antoine Griezmann as financial crisis bites
BARCELONA have signed Luuk de Jong from Sevilla after making a staggering £73million loss on Antoine Griezmann.
The LaLiga giants splashed out £107m in 2019 to bring the French forward to the Nou Camp.
But his sub-par form mixed with Barcelona's desperate financial situation saw the club sell him back to Atletico Madrid in a deadline day deal worth just £34m.
After making a stomach-churning £73m loss on Griezmann in just two years, Barca have turned to ex-Newcastle flop De Jong, 31, to provide backup to Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero.
Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets both accepted deadline day pay-cuts to allow Aguero to finally be registered, months after joining from Manchester City.
Ronald Koeman has already lost Lionel Messi this summer with the club unable to afford his wages.
And in losing Griezmann, Koeman's star-studded line-up has been replaced by a trio of Premier League rejects.
De Jong endured a horror stint on loan at Newcastle in 2013-14, while ex-Middlesbrough forward Martin Braithwaite and Manchester United reject Depay hardly fared much better in England.
BETTING SPECIAL - GET £50 IN FREE BETS WITH WILLIAM HILL
While all three have gone on to bigger and better things in Europe, it's hardly the front three Barcelona fans have come to expect.
De Jong - a 31-cap Holland international - has been in solid form for Sevilla since signing from PSV Eindhoven in 2019.
However, he has managed just TEN LaLiga goals in 69 games, including just four in 34 games last season.
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
⚽ Read our Transfer news live blog for the very latest rumours, gossip and done deals