Chelsea have “talked about” the prospect of signing Barcelona and Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, according to Dean Jones.
Manchester United were thought to be in advanced stages of a £56m deal for Erik ten Hag’s former player at Ajax, but there is talk of Chelsea hijacking the move.
What’s the latest on de Jong?
According to The Telegraph, Manchester United are still confident in bringing de Jong to the club, despite the hold up in the transfer.
The 44-time Netherlands international would likely have already secured the move to Old Trafford this summer, but the La Liga club reportedly owe the Dutch international £17m in outstanding payments.
But now reports in Spain have suggested Chelsea are now interested in a move for de Jong and that Thomas Tuchel has already spoken to the midfielder, with negotiations expected to begin quite soon.
The report also states that Chelsea are willing to pay de Jong’s asking price of around £73.5m.
The news will come as a blow to United, with Chelsea in the advantageous position of being able to offer Champions League football, something the Red Devils cannot provide, after last season’s sixth-place Premier League finish meaning that the Manchester club will be competing in the Europa League next season.
And Jones believes that there have been discussions at Stamford Bridge over bringing de Jong to the club.
What has Jones said about de Jong?
He told GIVEMESPORT: “It's a good proposition, but not one they especially will push him for, but de Jong has been brought up and been talked about.
“It’s not advanced, particularly.”
Would de Jong be a good signing for Chelsea?
De Jong would likely be an excellent addition to any midfield in the Premier League, and you would imagine that Chelsea would be delighted if they could get him to sign for the Stamford Bridge club, under the noses of Manchester United.
The 25-year-old made 47 appearances for Barcelona last season, scoring four goals and providing five assists according to Transfermarkt.
The £101m-rated star is a progressive midfielder and likes to get the ball forward when on the ball, which is shown by the fact he ranked in the top 5% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues and European competition for progressive passes received per 90 minutes last season (4.74) according to FBref.
And de Jong is also a competent dribbler, ranking in the top 6% of midfielders for progressive carries per 90 minutes (7.08) according to the same stats provider, showing that he might add a different dimension in terms of going forward in Chelsea’s midfield.
The signing of de Jong would have the potential to be a game changer, and could lift them into potential title-contention if they were to add to this signing with other astute signings.
It would also be especially satisfying for those at Chelsea to be able to sign de Jong ahead of their Premier League rivals in Manchester United, so it might be one for them to get over the line sooner rather than later.