Chelsea are watching Frenkie de Jong’s standoff ‘with considerable interest’ and would step in should he choose to depart, with the Dutchman preferring a move to Stamford Bridge over a reunion with Erik ten Hag, as per reports.
De Jong’s future has been questioned for much of the summer, with the 25 year old Dutchman considered an expendable asset at Camp Nou that could fetch a hefty fee in order to ease any potential financial issues.
And while Manchester United have positioned themselves publicly as ready to make a move for De Jong, and have even agreed a fee with Barcelona, the Dutchman is not convinced by a move to Manchester, favouring a stay in Spain.
This remains the same as far as Chelsea are concerned too, with the midfielder keen to collect the £17m owed to him in deferred wages and stay at Barcelona, though he is not willing to take a wage cut like the club are pressuring him into doing.
As a result, he could still depart before the deadline, despite Barcelona’s financial levers having been activated, raising funds.
And, according to the Athletic. ‘Chelsea are watching De Jong’s mess of a situation at Barcelona with considerable interest’.
They add that ‘if De Jong were to be persuaded to leave Camp Nou in this window, the impression is that Champions League football makes Chelsea a more desirable destination than United.’
Could Chelsea bring the price down?
Chelsea and Barcelona have enjoyed a frosty relationship so far this summer, with the Spanish side having hijacked moves for both Jules Kounde and Raphinha.
However, they could well do each other a favour should they agree to a more harmonious relationship. Blues duo Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta are both of significant interest to Barca, and should they be able to see past their differences, a potential part exchange that saw both players (and significant money) head to the Camp Nou in exchange for De Jong could be a possibility.
