Chelsea in direct talks to sign £71m Man United-linked midfielder

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Chelsea are trying to beat Manchester United to Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong.

That’s according to a recent report from The Athletic, who claim the Blues, now overseen by new American owner Todd Boehly, are trying their hardest to beat their league rivals to the Netherlands international.

The Red Devils have been long-time admirers of De Jong and even agreed a £71m deal with Barcelona several weeks ago. However, the player himself is proving harder to convince.

With United struggling to get a deal over the line, it appears Boehly’s Blues are trying to take advantage of the impasse.

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Whether or not the Londoners can succeed where Erik ten Hag’s United have so far failed remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, with just three weeks left in the window, failure to bring in a top midfielder, especially for United, could spell disaster.

In addition to that, if the 20-time league winner’s top target then ends up joining a direct rival, fans will be left furious, and that could make ten Hag’s opening campaign even harder.

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