Barcelona are on the. verge of agreeing to a £68million deal which would see star midfielder Frenkie de Jong depart for the Premier League as Manchester United's persistence seems to have paid off. And that could have a major impact on a Chelsea transfer move.
The Barca star has always been target number one for the Red Devils who have seemingly jeopardised their other dealings to ensure the Dutch international was to be the first through the doors at Old Trafford this summer. Jurrien Timber and Antony are two other prime targets for ten Hag's rebuild but it is understood that Ajax, who have already sold three of their big hitters this summer including star striker and former West Ham star Sebastian Haller, will only accept an extortionate fee for one of the two as they prepare to close shop early on the outgoings side of things. Lisandro Martínez' proposed move to Arsenal could even further hinder United in their attempts to back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's permanent successor.
But as Spanish outlet Sport are reporting, a deal of around £68million is now very close to being formalised and agreed between United and Barcelona for de Jong which would mean that Chelsea could become the only one of the top six sides not to have made a signing yet. One player who will be keeping a close eye on the de Jong situation is Thomas Tuchel favourite Ousmane Dembélé who himself has a big dilemma on his hands this summer. On one side of the coin, Xavi is doing everything he can to convince the Frenchman to stay put in Spain for another season but the financial situation at the club means that with less than five days remaining, their No. 7 will be walking out of the doors as a free agent.
READ MORE: Raheem Sterling proposal to be prioritised as Chelsea neglect Ousmane Dembele transfer wish
His agent Moussa Sissoko doesn't view the current financial package on the table as acceptable for the former Borussia Dortmund star whose situation will be a lot clearer this time next week. On the other side of the coin, Chelsea and Tuchel have been long-admirers of a player that they made an attempt to sign at a cut-price fee in the most recent January transfer window. They like Barca however, will not offer Dembele what he is looking for financially and with the PSG option seemingly off the table too, it seems as though the 25-year-old may need to sacrifice his enormous wage demands by committing to one of the two aforementioned options that are on the table.
Of course, Chelsea are pursuing Raheem Sterling as their primary attacking target but with the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner expected to be off this summer amid AC Milan and Juventus talks respectively, there will be space in the squad roster for the once £126million player to take up if he wants to do so. It is currently unclear where Dembele's heart is at. By his own admission, he wants to stay at the Camp Nou this summer as he revealed to the fan but it is also clear that the prospect of reuniting with Tuchel appeals greatly to him. What does he do next then?
Regardless of what he decides in the end, the Blues are already clear that they don't want to be used as leverage for Dembele to try and earn a new and improved lucrative deal with the current cash-strapped La Liga side, who could heap double misery on the current world champions if they were to ruin their Jules Kounde plans too.
This is according to CBS's Ben Jacobs who tweeted: "Chelsea in an interesting position since if they move too soon, it gives Barcelona time to counter and there is still caution in the club they will be used to get Dembele a better deal at Barca."
What is clear at this point is that the £68million generated by the sale of Barca's No. 21 could be used in some part to meet Dembele's demands for a new contract, meaning United could ruin Chelsea's hopes of signing Dembele by handing Barcelona the money they need to ease their financial woes. After all, Xavi is desperate to keep him as he has 'called him' multiple times to convince him, as per The Daily Mirror.
Dembele staying wouldn't be the biggest disaster in the world for the west Londoners. They have also been credited with interests in Arsenal and Tottenham targets Raphinha and Richarlison respectively but they would have to move fast if they wanted either. This is why the winger's contract saga being concluded next week will give owner Todd Boehly and Tuchel peace of mind either way.
Chelsea fans - Would just signing Raheem Sterling in the attack be enough this summer and if not, how many attackers are needed to be signed alongside the Man City winger? Leave your thoughts down below in the comments section!
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