Chelsea have laid out their demands after opening direct talks with Barcelona regarding the signing of Frenkie de Jong this summer.
The Blues have stepped up their pursuit of De Jong this week after having held a long-term interest in the Netherlands international. football.london understands Thomas Tuchel is driving the pursuit of De Jong as the Chelsea manager wants more creativity in his side, with the club having opened direct talks with Barca this week.
football.london understands Carney Chukwuemeka is set to become Chelsea's latest summer signing after the Blues agreed a £20million deal to sign the 18-year-old from Aston Villa, having already signed Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Gabriel Slonina. Manchester United have struggled in their attempts to lure De Jong away from Camp Nou this summer, and now it's Chelsea's turn to try and secure a deal for the talented midfielder.
READ MORE: Thomas Tuchel makes Chelsea's Frenkie de Jong transfer stance clear amid Man United interest
According to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs, Barcelona really want to sign Bernardo Silva from Manchester City but need De Jong to leave in order to fund a move. The Catalan giants accepted a £71million fee from Manchester United, but are struggling to convince the 25-year-old to accept personal terms.
Chelsea have set out their demands should they make a formal bid to Barcelona, reiterating that the club do not want a potential deal to drag on similar to the saga with United. If the Blues are to make a bid, they want negotiations with the club and player to move quickly.
Barca president Joan Laporta spoke to CBS Sports last week and denied De Jong had been offered to Chelsea when he met Todd Boehly in July. With the Dutch midfielder refusing to take a significant pay cut, an exit from Camp Nou looks increasingly likely with manager Xavi Hernandez having talked about using him at centre-back, despite the arrival of Jules Kounde.
There is thought to be tension between Chelsea and Barca of late after the La Liga outfit pipped the Blues to signing Raphinha and Kounde. football.london understands the Catalan club remain interested in signing Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta along with Marcos Alonso, but Tuchel has publicly admitted he wishes to block any potential exit for the former.
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