De Jong: I hope Van de Beek stays at Ajax but he would deserve Real Madrid move Barcelona Backs former teammate to succeed in Spain

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has backed former Ajax teammate Donny van de Beek to succeed at Real Madrid amid interest from Los Blancos.

While De Jong sealed his big move to Spain in January following his impressive displays, Van de Beek continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Although he would rather see Van de Beek remain at Ajax, De Jong feels he has what it takes to become a star under Zinedine Zidane.

"I would prefer him to stay at Ajax as I would not have him as an opponent and, in addition, Ajax would remain strong," he told ESPN.

"But if ends up at Real Madrid, I would be really happy for him.

"I think he deserves it. He is a great player," De Jong added.

"He showed it last season in the Champions League, especially in the knockout rounds.

"He has shown the world and everyone in Europe that he has the ability to play at that level."

After reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League and achieving a domestic double, a number of Ajax's stars have departed and more could soon follow, something that upsets De Jong.

"I am really proud of the season that we [Ajax] had and to see many of the guys making big move, I think they all deserve it.

"However, I also feel a bit sad.

"I have no regrets because I am really proud and happy to be at Barcelona but of course it's a bit sad to see the [Ajax] team break up," he stated.