Chelsea have reportedly received a boost in their pursuit of Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong amid interest from Premier League rivals Manchester United.
Manchester United have spent the best part of the summer transfer window chasing the Dutch midfielder, whose desire is to stay at Barcelona despite the deferred wages dispute. But due to the Catalan giants’ financial problems, a sale for one of their most promising players could very much happen before the deadline day.
According to Football London, Frenkie de Jong is seemingly set to accept that he has no future at Barcelona and must leave this summer, with Chelsea emerging as a potential destination, though, the Pensioners are yet to make an offer for him.
De Jong, 25, has shone at Camp Nou since arriving from Ajax three years ago, but there are signs that he could fall behind the likes of Gavi, Sergio Busquets, Franck Kessie and Pedri in the midfield pecking order this season.
While the player has made it crystal clear he wants to stay, Barcelona find themselves in the midst of some serious financial crisis, and selling the Netherlands international is one of the ways they are looking to resolve this.
Frenkie de Jong to Chelsea—What will he add to the team?
Manchester United have been pursuing a deal for Frenkie de Jong for some time. Last month, they agreed a fee with Barcelona, and since then it has been all about persuading him to move to Old Trafford. However, the Red Devils haven’t found an agreement on the player’s side so far, forcing them to look out for alternatives.
Chelsea are the latest club to be linked with a move for De Jong. The Blues, under new owners, have signed Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling, Carney Chukwuemeka and Gabriel Slonina so far. They remain in the process of negotiating a big-money deal to land Leicester City’s exciting defender, Wesley Fofana.
A central midfielder doesn’t necessarily look like an urgent priority for Chelsea, but there’s no doubt De Jong could be a fantastic addition to Thomas Tuchel’s squad. The Dutchman’s underlying statistics illustrate why Tuchel could be interested in bringing the player to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Regarded as one of the world’s best midfielders, De Jong fared well last season after averaging 1.1 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 0.5 clearances and 1.3 key passes per game in La Liga. The 25-year-old was excellent with his ball distribution as he completed 91% of his attempted passes, supplied three assists and created 3 big chances per game (stats via SofaScore).
In De Jong, Tuchel would get a player who can dictate the tempo of games with ease and poise. Technically magnificent, smart and press-resistant, he is capable of initiating attacks from the base of the midfield or gliding past players with the ball before making a telling pass in the final third.
The Netherlands international has great body balance and ball control which helps him in beating the press, while his ability to find teammates who are on the run remains second to none.
If De Jong finds the right system at Chelsea, he could end up being a massive upgrade on the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho. Truly, he could polish his game under Thomas Tuchel and get better over the coming years, proving to be a midfield maestro.