Chelsea 'willing to pay €100m' for Frenkie de Jong

Tom Weber

• Updated: 9 Feb 2024 18:57 GMT
• 4 min read

Chelsea are willing to break the bank for Frenkie de Jong, according to Spanish media.

The Dutchman has allegedly told Barcelona that he wants to leave the club, inevitably reigniting the long-standing links between himself and Man Utd. Erik ten Hag had desperately wanted to sign his former Ajax protégé in 2022 and the interest has not subsided.

But Man Utd, of course, aren't the only club who could or should be keen on the 26-year-old. There is a decent argument to be made that De Jong's skillset would be better suited to Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, while the likes of Liverpool, PSG and Bayern are reportedly all in the market for an elite midfielder.

Now, a new name has entered the fray. According to Sport, Chelsea are also attentive to the Dutchman's situation and they are ready to pounce, it is claimed.

A 'swap' deal for the ages?

The Spanish outlet asserts that the Blues would be willing to shell out as much as €100 million for De Jong, though it is acknowledged that it will be a very difficult deal to pull off. Nevertheless, Relevo's Matteo Moretto has reported that Barcelona will likely be forced into at least one big-money sale in the summer.

If Chelsea really were to pursue a deal, there could be something of an almighty swap on the cards. That's because Sport are also claiming that Enzo Fernandez is 'seduced' by the idea of playing for Barcelona. This comes after FootballTransfers exclusively revealed that the Argentine, unhappy at Chelsea according to his father, had begun considering his options.

While the Spanish outlet did not make the connection, it is not far-fetched to assume that Barcelona could immediately reinvest their De Jong money into Fernandez if the Dutchman's exit were indeed to materialise.