Manchester United have seemingly turned their attentions to new two midfielder targets as Chelsea are believed to be 'very close' to signing Frenkie de Jong after a key Barcelona transfer update emerges.
In this ever-changing saga, there have been points where all possibilities have been close to coming to fruition but there now finally seems to be some more clear direction in relation to what is going to happen with the 25-year-old. Amid a dispute with Barcelona over deferred wages which the club themselves refuse to pay after finding a hint of 'criminality' in his previous contract extension, as per The Athletic, the feeling around the players camp is that his adamant stance in staying may have weakened by what has happened in recent times.
Despite both manager Xavi and the president Joan Laporta speaking positively about the Dutchman, the pair are hoping that a sale of the £70million rated midfielder will provide the funds alongside the fourth economic lever not just to afford to register the new recruits with La Liga but also to fund an ambitious £68m swoop for Bernardo Silva. De Jong has refused to agree on a new cut-price deal with Barcelona and unlike Gerard Pique who has taken the sacrifice, the midfielder's Barca future is now bleak with Chelsea reportedly to be 'very close.'
READ MORE: Gary Neville slams Todd Boehly’s Chelsea transfer strategy amid Wesley Fofana and De Jong talks
Spanish Journalist Gerard Romero has predicted that after these new contract talks broke down with the Camp Nou club, De Jong to Chelsea will 'heat up' more.
He went on to claim that the writing has been on the way for Barca's number 21 since the Barca US tour got underway. Initially, Man United were seen as the most likely destination considering the strong relationship the player in question has with new manager Erik ten Hag.
However, with rumours doing the rounds suggesting that De Jong wants Champions League football, The Red Devils have switched their attentions elsewhere with a £77.5m swoop in. mind.
According to the Manchester Evening News, United have agreed a £20m deal for Adrien Rabiot with personal terms being discussed. Meanwhile, the club are considering launching a £57.5m bid for long-term target Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Chelsea fans - Does this update confirm to you that Man United are now fully out of the race for De Jong or do you reckon there could be more twists in this transfer saga yet? Leave your thoughts down below in the comments section!
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