Chelsea do hold some interest in the potential transfer of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, but they have not made any contact over the deal so far.
The Netherlands international is a top target for Manchester United, but Chelsea do seem to be hovering in the background as well, according to Fabrizio Romano in his exclusive CaughtOffside column on Substack.
“At the moment, every negotiation for Frenkie de Jong depends on the player and his contractual situation with Barça. Manchester United are waiting for news from the player, Chelsea are interested but have never made any offers,” Romano said.
Thomas Tuchel could do with making some changes in midfield this summer, with 90min recently reporting on some doubts over whether Jorginho would get a new contract at Stamford Bridge.
De Jong could be an ideal replacement for the Italy international, and one imagines the move to west London might be more tempting for the 25-year-old than joining Man Utd right now.
Unlike United, Chelsea have Champions League football to offer this season, and of course they also won the competition back in 2021.
De Jong would be taking a bit more of a gamble with a move to Old Trafford, even if it would mean being reunited with his former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag.
It will be interesting to see how this develops, but one imagines there could be an opportunity for Chelsea to do something here if they decide to step up their interest.