Chelsea have a genuine interest in clinching the transfer of Barcelona midfielder and Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong, but a deal would be complicated.
The Netherlands international faces an uncertain future at Barca, but it is not yet clear if we’ll be seeing him leave the Nou Camp as he seemingly remains determined to stay.
That’s according to Fabrizio Romano in his latest exclusive CaughtOffside column on Substack, with the Italian reporter explaining the truth behind the De Jong to Chelsea links, as well as how it might affect Manchester City.
Addressing the De Jong rumours, Romano wrote: “Chelsea have been interested in Frenkie de Jong for weeks, but they know that Man United have an agreement with Barcelona, and also that Frenkie as of today has no plans to leave Spain.
“So far, De Jong remains on the same idea – so Chelsea will not submit offers until they know that Frenkie has different ideas.”
Romano adds that Chelsea remain keen to tie N’Golo Kante down to a new contract despite the De Jong interest, while the former Ajax man’s departure could pave the way for fresh interest from Barca in Man City star Bernardo Silva.
“Bernardo Silva is a priority target for Barcelona but it hinges on Frenkie de Jong’s future – a deal is only possible if the former Ajax man leaves,” he explained.
“To date, it is not even a negotiation with Man City, just a Barca idea linked to Frenkie’s future. And it won’t be easy because Pep Guardiola would like to keep Bernardo in Manchester.”