Former Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal has claimed that Frenkie de Jong should have joined Juventus over Barcelona, with the Dutch international currently playing out of position.

The 22-year-old joined the Catalan club for a fee of £65m from Ajax last summer and has since gained frequent playing time in La Liga.

However, Van Gaal believes the former Ajax man would have preferred joining Juventus as he is currently not playing in his natural position due to the more experienced Sergio Busquets.

Speaking to Ziggo Sport, the Dutchman said: "[De Jong plays] because of the price he cost, I am convinced of it. [Ernesto] Valverde would have liked to have him, but now there is another coach (Quique Setien) and the question is whether he will continue playing since this coach wasn't the one to buy him.

"He is not playing in his position. At Ajax, everyone was looking for him, he was the centre of the game while at Barca it is not like that. This is the big difference.

"If only one club had to buy Matthijs de Ligt (who left Ajax last summer for Juventus), it would have been Barcelona. And with Busquets, it turns out that Frenkie de Jong should have gone to Juventus. Barca lacks more a De Ligt type player than De Jong."

Since joining Barca, De Jong has made 36 appearances in all competitions - securing two goals and two assists in the process.