Chelsea appears to be a ‘far more likely destination’ for Frenkie de Jong than Manchester United, according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.
The 25-year-old has been at the centre of one of the most public transfer sagas of the summer, and it still remains unclear where the Barcelona star will be plying his trade next term.
What is the latest news involving De Jong?
United appeared to be firmly in the driving seat for De Jong earlier in the window after The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed they had agreed a £68 million deal with Barca for his services.
However, the Netherlands international has publicly expressed his love for the Catalan giants, and a dispute over a significant sum of deferred wages has caused the deal to stall.
And Chelsea appear to be eager to capitalise on De Jong’s apparent hesitance to join Erik ten Hag’s revolution at Old Trafford, joining the race for his signature.
Ornstein now claims that the west London outfit are ‘optimistic of striking a deal’ for the creative midfielder as they look to snap him up from under United’s noses.
It’s been a fairly productive summer for Chelsea so far under their new ownership, and the arrival of De Jong would surely elevate their chances of success on the pitch this season.
What has Taylor said about De Jong?
Taylor believes that Chelsea look to be ahead of United in the queue for his services as they can offer him Champions League football, something the Red Devils aren’t able to do.
He told GiveMeSport: “It seems to be the case, yeah. They’ve not shown any indication they’re willing to move on yet, but from the outside, it’s abundantly clear he doesn’t really want to join.
“I think Chelsea looks a far more likely destination for De Jong at the moment because they’ve got Champions League football.”
Would De Jong be a good signing?
De Jong is a technically gifted talent capable of linking the defence to the midfield and the midfield to the attack seamlessly, leading to him being labelled “very special”.
Although he doesn’t chip in with an abundance of goals or assists, the Ajax academy graduate makes an impact on the game in other ways, continually helping his team build the play.
As per FBref, De Jong has ranked in the 95th percentile for progressive passes received, 94th for progressive carries, 91st for touches in the attacking penalty area, and 87th for expected assists amongst his positional peers over the last year.
It’s evident, therefore, that De Jong has the potential to be a perfect fit for Tuchel’s possession-heavy system at Chelsea, and it could be an ideal matchup.
