Chelsea and Manchester United have both reportedly made Frenkie de Jong their no.1 target once more this summer, after both were strongly linked with a move for the Dutchman last summer.
De Jong was reportedly put up for sale by the Camp Nou side in the summer of 2022, but opted to stay at the club rather than make a move to the Premier League. Manchester United had even agreed a fee with Barcelona for the 25-year-old, but instead recruited Casemiro from Real Madrid in the dying days of the transfer window.
And ahead of this summer, De Jong has once again committed himself to Barcelona. “I’m very calm, happy. I want to stay at Barcelona for many more years”, he explained when quizzed on a potential move away at the end of the season.
Frenkie de Jong (21) of FC Barcelona during the match between FC Barcelona and Pumas UNAM corresponding to the Joan Gamper trophy at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Credit: rosdemora/Alamy 2JMWPYW Barcelona,Spain.07 August,2022.
FC Barcelona v Pumas UNAM
Frenkie de Jong (21) of FC Barcelona during the match between FC Barcelona and Pumas UNAM corresponding to the Joan Gamper trophy at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Credit: rosdemora/Alamy Live News (Alamy Stock Photo)
But it may not be that simple. Barcelona are once again in financial trouble, with La Liga boss Javier Tebas revealing that ‘As of today, Barcelona doesn’t have any room in its budget to spend in the upcoming transfer window’.
“They have to drop spending on wages and transfers from £532m to £399m (€650m to €450m), so it’s a budget of minus £177m (€200m)”, he added.
This could once again lead to conversations over De Jong, arguably the club’s most valuable player. And, as per Football Insider, Chelsea have made him ‘a priority signing this summer’, looking to beat Manchester United to the punch, with Todd Boehly reportedly a massive fan of the Dutchman.
And, Manchester United may have the edge when it comes to offering Champions League football next season, and the allure of De Jong’s former boss Ten Hag, but Chelsea have shown already that they are willing to throw plenty of money at their problems, and this may be more attractive to Barcelona.
