Chelsea are reportedly closing in on signing Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, after Manchester United failed to convince the player. Barcelona and United had reached an agreement over the deal, but de Jong refused to move to Old Trafford since he was happy at Camp Nou.
But, the prospect of playing Champions League football with Chelsea could be tempting for the Dutchman. Moreover, the two clubs are close to reaching an agreement on the transfer for it to go through. But in this case, a lot remains to be resolved for the deal to be complete.
Frenkie de Jong to join Chelsea?
The Blues will have to bid in the region of €75-85 million for the midfielder, which is around the same fee that United proposed. They don’t need to bolster their midfield immediately, but would naturally benefit from the arrival of de Jong this summer.
Frenkie de Jong is still owed €20 million in wages by Barcelona, due to the pay cut he took for the past two seasons. And now, he is refusing to take another cut because he wants the club to honour their contract.
Due to the financial restrictions imposed on Barcelona, they are trying to force the player out in order to balance their books. Him not taking a pay cut is a key part in the deal with Chelsea potentially going through, with the West London side willing to pay.