Chelsea are reportedly hoping to ‘hijack’ Manchester United ’s move for Frenkie de Jong and will attempt to send two players to Barcelona in part-exchange.
The Red Devils have been linked with a move for the Dutch playmaker throughout the summer but look no closer to sealing his signature with De Jong remaining unconvinced on swapping the Nou Camp for Old Trafford.
As a result, Chelsea have been touted as potential suitors for the former Ajax star with the Blues able to offer him Champions League football. It remains to be seen which of the Premier League clubs will be able to win the race but the Londoners seemingly have a plan that could potentially see them move past the Red Devils.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, the Blues could possibly offer current defensive duo Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta in part-exchange for De Jong. Barcelona have of course already been chasing the signings of the Chelsea pair this summer - despite having already sealed the services of Danish defender Andreas Christensen on a free transfer.
Barcelona might well prefer to do a deal with Chelsea then considering their aforementioned interest in Alonso and Azpilicueta. President Joan Laporta has already praised their abilities but refused to comment on a potential move for the pair.
Speaking to CBS in the USA, he said: “They are under contract at Chelsea and we respect this as well as the new owner. I don’t want to talk about players who belong to other teams.
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“I respect Cesar and Marcos as footballers. They are very, very good players. They show their quality and talent at Chelsea. But I don’t want to talk about them as a matter of respect for Chelsea.”
The Blues have of course been busy in the market during their first summer window following Todd Boehly’s takeover at Stamford Bridge. They at first secured the signing of Raheem Sterling from Manchester City, with defender Kalidou Koulibaly also arriving from Napoli.
The business is not anticipated to end there amid links with De Jong. Leicester City star Wesley Fofana is reportedly on the club’s shopping list but with the Frenchman having only penned a new contract at the King Power Stadium earlier this year, a deal looks difficult.
In the meantime, Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries is also a reported target as Chelsea aim to bolster their right-back options.
United also have alternative targets should they fail to sign De Jong this summer. Napoli star Fabian Ruiz has emerged as a potential addition to the squad and he could potentially be available for a cut-price free having entered the final 12 months of his contract at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
