Madrid, Despite the disappointing draw away at Granada on Saturday, Barcelona will be pleased to see an improvement to the form of Luuk de Jong while the return of Dani Alves has given them another option at full-back.

De Jong struggled in the first half of the campaign but, in the new year, he has scored twice in as many games, given the club a much needed reference point in attack.

In the case of Dani Alves, his debut against Linares in the Copa del Rey was backed up with another good performance at Granada, showing that, even at 38 years of age, he can still be a dependable outlet.

The January transfer window has opened but Barcelona’s pulling power is very much limited due to their financial woes, so the veteran duo’s form is pivotal to achieving their goals in what remains of the campaign.

De Jong is showing that he is eager and confident to help the team. His rise to form comes at a time when he is being linked with a January departure, as well as the arrival of Ferran Torres, the Spanish MARCA said.

Source: Oman News Agency