Barcelona and Chelsea are reportedly edging closer to agreeing to a deal worth €80 million for Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Frenkie de Jong could join Chelsea before the summer transfer window shuts down. The Blues are on the verge of closing the agreement with Barcelona for the Dutch midfielder, with the package likely to be worth around €80 million.
Frenkie de Jong is one of the best midfielders in the world and has been a reliable performer for Barcelona since arriving from Ajax in a big-money deal nearly three years ago. But the Catalan giants need to register their new signings this summer, and lowering the wage bill is paramount to them achieving that objective.
The 25-year-old is thus on Barcelona’s transfer list, although he does not want to depart from Camp Nou. He is also adamant about receiving the wages he agreed to defer a couple of years ago, and the situation has become murkier by the day. And the uncertainty surrounding de Jong’s Barcelona future has captured the attention of Chelsea.
Chelsea did not necessarily want to sign a midfielder this summer following Conor Gallagher’s return from his loan stint with Crystal Palace. But N’Golo Kante and Jorginho face uncertain futures at Stamford Bridge after entering the final year of their respective contracts with the west London club. Jorginho, in particular, could leave Chelsea amid links with Juventus.
The Blues have thus set their sights on de Jong, with the Barcelona midfielder open to joining them instead of most other suitors, including Manchester United. But the Dutch international will still prefer to remain at Camp Nou than join Chelsea as he does not want to leave his dream club anytime soon.
Meanwhile, Barcelona will continue to look to offload de Jong despite claims by Joan Laporta and Xavi Hernandez. And according to SPORT, the Blaugrana and Chelsea are on the verge of closing an agreement worth around €80 million for the 25-year-old in the coming days.
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Convincing de Jong to leave Chelsea still remains an uphill task for Chelsea, although they have steered clear of Manchester United in the race to sign Barcelona’s star midfielder. It will be interesting to see if the former Ajax man moves to Stamford Bridge anytime soon.
