Manchester United face a major hurdle in their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong as Chelsea would prefer to make a bid for the Dutch midfielder.
Since Erik ten Hag is eager to pair with the Dutch midfielder at Old Trafford after their excellent time together at Ajax, the Red Devils have been linked with him throughout the large portion of the summer transfer window.
It was rumored that the Catalans may be forced into a sale this summer due to their dire financial situation.
Despite having agreed on a sum with Barcelona for the midfielder’s services, United is now having trouble closing the deal. A key roadblock is a sizable amount of unpaid salaries owed by the team, and De Jong does not appear to be all that interested in moving to Old Trafford. In fact, he has resumed working out with the La Liga team.
Now that Chelsea are rumoured to be in the running to sign the midfielder, United’s ambitions of securing the services of the playmaker have suffered another frustrating setback.
As reported by the Mirror, the Blues are planning a formal offer for De Jong, and Barcelona are aware of this. They have expressed interest during the previous few hours, and a bid is anticipated to be submitted.
Todd Boehly, the new owner of Chelsea, has had a very busy summer and De Jong might be the next addition. New signings, Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly have already been officially announced by the blues.
De Jong’s acquisition by Chelsea would be a devastating blow to Man Utd’s summer aspirations. With the addition of Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord this summer, the Red Devils have already secured two incoming moves.
Manchester United board would love to put the final nail on the coffin by signing Frenkie de Jong as well.