Could Chelsea hijack Manchester United's pursuit of Frenkie de Jong?

Manchester United have been negotiating a deal with Barcelona for the transfer of Frenkie de Jong. However, the late arrival of Chelsea in the transfer saga could complicate things for the Red Devils.

TN Sports Desk

Updated Jul 2, 2022, 10:17 IST

Chelsea have joined race for Frenkie De Jong

Photo : AP

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Manchester United have been talking to Barcelona over the transfer of Frenkie de Jong for a long time.
Chelsea have reportedly joined the race for De Jong.
A fee over the player has reportedly been agreed between United and Barca.

The hunt for top players in the summer transfer window is getting intense with every passing day. Manchester United have been after Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong for a long time, but could now see competition for the Dutchman from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

De Jong is widely considered as one of the top midfield talents in the world. Though he hasn't yet succeeded in reaching full potential at Barcelona, the Catalan outfit are still asking for a hefty fee from Manchester United for his services.

As the discussion over De Jong between United and Barca enter a decisive phase, the arrival of Chelsea as a potential suitor could complicate things for the Red Devils.

According to the Guardian, the Blues are “monitoring developments” and could move for De Jong if there continues to be disagreement between Manchester United and Barcelona.

Recent reports suggested that Barca and United had agreed on a transfer fee for De Jong, but agreeing on personal terms with the midfielder remains a tricky task for the Red Devils.

"You’re always flattered when teams show interest in you as a player," De Jong had said during a press conference with the Dutch national team. "But I am at the biggest club in the world at the moment and I feel fine there, so no news."

In comparison to Manchester United, Chelsea will be playing in the Champions League next season. As far as personal ambitions go, Chelsea do offer De Jong a better prospect than Man Utd who have been in sporting doldrums for a long time.

At present de Jong is on a holiday where he got engaged to his long-term girlfriend Mikky Kiemeney. He is expected to return to team training with Barcelona on July 11.

De Jong has maintained that he has no intentions to leave Barca who are looking to push him out in order to generate funds for some other transfers.

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