Chelsea’s late move for Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong may be put on a standstill, reports state – with club chiefs unwilling to make an official move for the Dutchman unless he fully reciprocates their interest.
That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who claim that whilst the Blues are in talks with Barcelona over a potential deal, they will refuse to go into advanced talks unless the former Ajax star actively agrees to enter talks with them over a potential deal over his uncertainness about leaving the Blaugrana.
The report claims that the two clubs have been in talks with one another for weeks over a plethora of deals including Marcos Alonso’s imminent transfer and a potential deal for Cesar Azpilicueta that crumbled.
As a result, De Jong’s availability has been discussed despite an offer not being submitted.
This is due to the fact that the midfielder is not fully committed to leaving the Nou Camp just yet, and with Chelsea having already wasted a lot of time on the pursuits of Jules Kounde and Raphinha before the pair both joined up with Xavi in Catalonia, they don’t want to make that a common occurrence – especially with Barcelona snatching two of their main transfer targets whilst also being on the verge of signing Alonso.
De Jong has made his stance clear, although Barcelona would be open to a sale due to their poor financial position meaning they are currently unable to register their new signings – although they would allow the Dutchman to respect his contract with the club.
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The report further claims that Chelsea is the ‘only option’ for De Jong of the clubs that are interested in his services. If he was to leave the Spanish giants, then it would be for a side that could challenge for major honours, including the Champions League – something that long-term stakeholders Manchester United cannot offer him this season.