Chelsea ‘very close’ to Frenkie de Jong transfer agreement but face same issue as Man Utd

Premier League transfers update

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Chelsea are closing in on a deal with Barcelona with regards to a move for Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong, but the likelihood of the proposed switch coming to fruition remains far from certain, according to reports. De Jong has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League over the course of this summer, with United having chased the Dutchman for a number of months but to no avail.

Chelsea have also been credited with a strong interest in bringing De Jong to Stamford Bridge, with new Blues owner Todd Boehly still looking to add further reinforcements despite spending plenty of money on new players so far this summer. A deal at club level with Barcelona is now tantalisingly close to being reached but it remains unclear whether the move will actually go ahead in spite of Chelsea’s recent progress, according to Sport.

It is claimed that Chelsea are ‘very close’ to striking an agreement with De Jong’s current employers but, like United, could be thwarted by the player’s desire to remain at the Nou Camp for the foreseeable future. He is believed to be hell-bent on staying at Barcelona in spite of his anger at the club over their efforts to ship him out against his wishes, with the Catalan giants desperately trying to raise funds in order to register their new signings before the new La Liga campaign gets underway.

Barcelona have reportedly accepted a bid in the region of £67m from Chelsea, who only began to seriously negotiate over a move for De Jong earlier this month. United, in contrast, have had an agreement in place for some time but are no closer to finalising De Jong’s arrival as a result of his stance against a move elsewhere as things stand.

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Barcelona boss Xavi and club president Joan Laporta would supposedly like De Jong to remain on their books in an ideal world but are resigned to the fact that players will need to be sold as a result of their desperate financial situation. Laporta has tried to negotiate a pay cut with De Jong, who is still owed around £17m in unpaid wages by Barcelona, but the midfielder is refusing to play ball due to his growing anger over the situation.

Chelsea are not giving up on their hopes of landing De Jong, though, and remain in ‘constant contact’ with the relevant agents as they look to tempt the player into leaving Barcelona in favour of a move to west London over the coming weeks. The summer-long saga involving De Jong’s immediate future is reportedly set to be resolved over the coming days, but it seems as though the Blues could be up against it in their attempts to add him to their ranks this summer.

The two-time European champions have already spent more than any other Premier League club on new players since the end of last season, with Boehly having splashed around £175m in the market over the last few months. The Blues do not appear to be finished yet, though, and will be hoping to add to their long list of talented stars by poaching De Jong from Barcelona against the odds in the not-too-distant future.

Meanwhile, Xavi has already hinted that he will be reluctantly looking to convince De Jong to leave in spite of his admiration for the player, who he still holds in the highest regard but knows that a move away would benefit the club’s transfer plans for the campaign ahead.

“I don’t send messages, I have spoken with him,” said the Barcelona boss after their recent pre-season victory over Real Madrid. “I value him very much, for me he is a fundamental footballer.

“But then there is the economic situation and fair play. He can give us a lot in central [midfield], I like him in that position.”

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