Chelsea remain interested in signing Barcelona pair Frenkie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but face two major obstacles in their transfer pursuits.
The Blues have been at odds with the Catalan giants throughout the summer transfer window after missing out on both Raphinha and Jules Kounde at the hands of Barca. The La Liga side were keen on signing Chelsea club captain Cesar Azpilicueta but the Spanish defender ended speculation over his future after signing a new contract to keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2024.
Marcos Alonso has been linked with a move to Camp Nou whilst Aubameyang and De Jong have been the subject of interest to the Blues. However, Barcelona must solve two key issues before the Blues can complete a deal for either player with the former currently disputing a wage issue whilst the latter's valuation is deemed too high for Chelsea to match.
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With just under a week left of the summer transfer window, De Jong and Aubameyang's departures would be rushed leaving Chelsea little time in completing deals for alternative targets should they fail to secure a double swoop for the Barca stars. De Jong continues to wait for a compromise over wages with the 25-year-old already being owed £17million in amortisations and back payments by the club, according to The Daily Mail.
De Jong's future is unlikely to be resolved until that matter is worked out, whilst Chelsea are waiting for the La Liga side to lower their valuation of Aubameyang in order to sign the Gabonese striker. Barcelona want a fee of €30m (£25m) for their star striker, but the Blues are unwilling to meet that figure knowing Barca need to offload high earners from Xavi Hernandez's squad due to their financial struggles.
Alonso could be key to any deal that would see the 33-year-old forward reunite with former boss Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge, but so far there hasn't been a breakthrough in negotiations between the clubs. It is set to be a hectic final week of the transfer window for both Barcelona and Chelsea, but a lot of issues could be solved should solutions be found for De Jong's wage disagreement and Aubameyang's valuation.
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