Ruthless Chelsea’s owner may sell two fan favourites in order to bankroll Frenkie de Jong’s deal.
Todd Boehly, the owner of Chelsea, has shown early signs of ruthlessness in the transfer market as he seeks to kick off his stint at Stamford Bridge with a bang.
With the Blues keeping an eye on Manchester United’s pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, Boehly could use two fan favourites to make place for a possible hijack.
United are closing in on Erik ten Hag’s main transfer target after reaching an agreement with Barcelona worth £56.2 million (€65 million) plus add-ons.
Negotiations are currently expected to centre around salary structure and De Jong’s personal arrangements, with the club hoping he’ll be on the aircraft for their pre-season trip on July 8.
Barcelona’s willingness to offload him in order to fund their own summer purchases has made the 25-year-old more willing to join Ten Hag at Old Trafford.
He does, however, want Champions League football, which the Red Devils will be unable to provide next season.
And, according to The Guardian, Chelsea is waiting in the wings, ready to pounce if De Jong’s United transfer falls through during contract negotiations.
According to the report, Boehly and Thomas Tuchel could cash in on Jorginho and N’Golo Kante to generate funds and make way for a midfield transfer.
Conor Gallagher, who impressed during his season-long loan at Crystal Palace, is likely to join Tuchel’s squad.
After Saul Niguez returned to Atletico Madrid after a disappointing loan spell, he joins Jorginho, Kante, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek as senior options.
Jorginho has been linked with a return to Serie A, while United are said to be interested in Kante.
Ten Hag’s apparent intention to sign the France international could be an alternate option if the De Jong deal falls through in the final stages.
Tuchel is known to admire De Jong, and Chelsea have kept an eye on him since he flourished under Ten Hag at Ajax before joining Barcelona for £65 million in 2019.
And pursuing the Dutchman would be far less difficult than pursuing West Ham United’s Declan Rice, who appears to be priced out of a large move for another season.
However, United are certain that De Jong will be one of the big arrivals during Ten Hag’s first transfer window in charge at Old Trafford.
If talks over his personal terms fail as predicted, the move might be confirmed early next week.
Ruthless Chelsea’s owner may sell two fan favourites in order to bankroll Frenkie de Jong’s deal.
