Chelsea make a last-minute attempt to beat Manchester United to Frenkie de Jong
According to Spanish outlet Relevo (h/t Daily Express), Chelsea are acting quickly to sabotage the transfer of Frenkie de Jong to Manchester United.
With the Catalan side reluctantly having to let him go owing to their financial troubles, the 25-year-old has been widely rumoured to be joining the Red Devils this summer. The Blues, though, appear to have made a push at the last minute to lure the Dutch international to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have two aces up their sleeves to compel Barca to allow him to transfer to Stamford Bridge as they are now eager to hijack the deal and land the player themselves. Beating a direct rival to the finish line would be a statement of sorts for the new Chelsea administration.
The Catalan giants have apparently expressed a long-term interest in Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta, and the Blues are supposedly offered both of them to sweeten the deal and convince Barcelona to let them have the Dutchman.
However, given Barcelona’s dire financial situation and the fact that the team owes De Jong £17.3 million in outstanding salary and incentives, any agreement might prove complex.
The midfielder agreed to take a temporary pay reduction to help the club stay alive, but The Telegraph claimed on Wednesday that any possibilities of closing the deal as quickly as possible had been hindered by postponed wages and incentives the midfielder is owed in Catalunya.
In addition to making a significant statement about where Chelsea stands in the transfer market in comparison to former goliaths Man United, adding him would surely boost a position for the Blues midfield roster that has been beset by injuries.
Last season, Jorginho was tasked with playing in the majority of the games since Mateo Kovacic and N’golo Kante both had injury problems. Surely improving our strength in depth in the position has to be a priority.
More Chelsea News
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- Juventus reveal their stance regarding the transfer of Chelsea target Matthijs de Ligt
Despite Conor Gallagher’s return from loan, landing de Jong represents a rare opportunity because of his calibre and potential. The clubs may have some negotiating power in regards to any prospective exit of the Dutchman given that they are also in talks with respect to Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso.
De Jong most definitely fits the bill as a young reinforcement for our team. The Blues already have a number of outstanding young players on their squad, and the addition of the Dutchman will only make them stronger. Barcelona are said to be ‘very interested’ in the deal’ so let’s wait and see what happens in the coming days.