Barcelona fans were understandably excited to see Frenkie de Jong don the famous red and blue jersey this season.

The Blaugrana sealed the signing of the Dutchman from Ajax back at the start of the year after his stunning performances for the Eredivisie outfit.

So far, De Jong has shown glimpses of quality, especially alongside the equally talented Arthur Melo.

The pair once again started against Inter Milan and interestingly, they seemed to improve when moved into a double pivote after Sergio Busquets was substituted.

Controlling the game from deep seems to suit De Jong, but he showed against Antonio Conte's side that he certainly has his uses going forward.

The Dutchman broke forward in the second half with the score level at 1-1 and showed once again his immense skill at retaining possession in key areas of the pitch.

De Jong managed to execute a perfect 360 degree roulette with three Inter defenders in close proximity.

Imagine having the skill and composure to pull this off!

DE JONG NAILS HIS IMPRESSION OF ZINEDINE ZIDANE

Frenkie bringing the sauce to the Camp Nou.

In just a short space of time - and despite not playing to his highest level consistently - De Jong is a firm fan favourite at Barcelona.

Alongside Arthur, the Blaugrana have a midfield that could go some way to finally replacing the legendary pair of Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.

However, the big issue for Valverde is the dwindling importance of Busquets in midfield.

The Spanish international has been Barca's key cog in midfield for many years, but his powers seem to be waning.

Is it perhaps time a more attack-minded midfielder steps in to replace him, allowing De Jong and Arthur to sit deep?

It worked versus Inter and it could be a blueprint for Valverde to follow for the remainder of the season.