Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has been abused by his own fans as he drove to training as his contract standoff with the Blaugrana continue.
The Dutchman is seen as a key mover in Joan Laporta’s summer plans, with the club willing to cash in on him amid interest from Manchester United and Chelsea. Though they want him to stay in an ideal world, they warn that he would have to take a paycut in order to do so.
De Jong has already deferred contract payments from last summer, and is now owed around 17m euros by the club. For that reason, and due to his desire to stay at Barcelona this summer, De Jong has turned down a move to Manchester United despite the two clubs having agreed a fee for the transfer.
And some Barcelona fans have left him in no doubt as to what they expect from the 24-year-old, with several fans telling him in no uncertain terms to reduce his salary or leave the club, as the Blaugrana continue to try and force him out of the club or force him to reduce his salary.
Could he move to Chelsea?
Should De Jong finally cave and opt to depart Spain, it appears that Chelsea are the most likely destination. The Blues have matched Manchester United’s offer to Barcelona, and are also able to offer Champions League football rather than Thursday night Europa League outings.
Thomas Tuchel is keen to add quality to his squad, and with both Jorginho and N’Golo Kante’s deals running out in 12 months, there will be a hole in midfield that needs to be filled.
Should they land De Jong, it would represent quite the coup, while it would also go a long way to solving Barcelona’s financial issues, with the Spanish club currently unable to register all of their new signings.
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