Chelsea are reportedly set to take on Liverpool and Manchester United in a transfer battle to sign Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong in January.
football.london understands that the Blues have been keen on signing the Dutch midfielder for a few years now and failed in their attempts to sign him in the summer. It's said that the club were in talks with the 25-year-old over a move to London, but he opted to remain at Barcelona.
De Jong's contract at Nou Camp expires in 2026 and he remains involved in a dispute in wages with the Spanish giants. Reports from The Telegraph have suggested that, as of July, the Catalan club owed him £17 million in deferred wages from the Covid-19 pandemic.
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However, after revealing in an interview that he was never keen on a move, a fresh report from ESPN has claimed that Graham Potter's side will battle it out with Liverpool and United to sign the former Ajax man, should he choose to leave Catalonia.
It's reported that Chelsea have 'received encouragement' that the player may reconsider his future at the Nou Camp, despite Barca's willingness to let him leave. De Jong has only started five matches in all competitions this season and the club’s likely failure to progress from their Champions League group could be a telling factor.
Following news of N'Golo Kante's period out of action after undergoing surgery, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali will be on red alert of the possibility of continuing their preferred strategy of purchasing younger players - as seen with Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Carney Chukwuemeka.
ESPN have claimed that the Blues co-owners share a good relationship with HCM Sports Management, who represent de Jong. However, the highly-rated defensive anchor is a wanted man by Europe’s biggest clubs and would need convincing to move to Stamford Bridge.
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