Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed to the Football Terrace’s YouTube channel that Barcelona have informed Chelsea they have the opportunity to sign Frenkie de Jong this summer.
The Dutchman has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United this summer, however he has made it clear he is not interested in the move.
Barcelona however appear to need to sell the 25-year-old in order to fund their lavish summer, where they’ve already announced signings for Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski.
Despite the seemed desperation to sell him, he has drawn great praise from manager Xavi, with the Barca boss singling the player out as ‘extraordinary’.
With Chelsea being able to offer De Jong Champions League football, they may feel like they could secure a deal, with Jacobs claiming they have a genuine interest in the midfielder.
He said: ‘From Chelsea’s point of view, they are not going to move in a formal sense until they are aware if De Jong is open to the move, and they will have learnt lessons from the Manchester United saga and they will have seen and heard both publicly and privately a lot of conflicting reports.
Chelsea told they can sign De Jong
“What Laporta says in public and what he does with clubs in private are very different things. Chelsea have been privately told directly from Barcelona that De Jong is available and encouraged if they are interested in the player to make a move. Chelsea’s interest in De Jong is genuine, but that signing is not their priority.
“If they proceed, they’re approaching it in the opposite way to Manchester United. They feel Manchester United have done the legwork, they know the ballpark figure.”
The signing would be a massive statement as to where Chelsea sit in the market compared to Erik ten Hag’s men, and would undoubtedly provide a fantastic option in a position where the club’s current options have unclear futures.
However, the club should ensure a potential deal doesn’t see them miss out on their defensive targets, with replacements for Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen a necessity.
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