Barcelona have granted Chelsea a huge advantage over Manchester United in the race to sign Frenkie de Jong. The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with an exit from the Camp Nou this summer, with the Spanish giants eager to solve their financial woes.
football.london understand that the west Londoners have 'liked' the idea of signing the Netherlands international for a few years now. And, while Thomas Tuchel faces great competition from Erik ten Hag for the midfielder's services, the Blues boss is confident of beating Manchester United a deal.
According to Spanish outlet Diario Sport, the Chelsea entourage would be able to convince De Jong to snub Old Trafford for Stamford Bridge on two conditions; Champions League qualification and a lucrative London lifestyle. The report adds that Barcelona prefer selling the Dutchman to Todd Boehly, as Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso have both been heavily linked with moves to the Camp Nou.
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The Spanish side are eager to strike an agreement with Chelsea to ensure that both parties are granted a deal of which is in both of their interests. Despite the Blues' leverage over United, De Jong is said to prefer a move to Stamford Bridge now that they've informed Barcelona of their interest.
However, while Boehly may have significant leverage in completing a deal, United have already encountered several issues. The Telegraph claim that the Red Devils reached an agreement with the Catalan side for the midfielder that would see them pay an initial £55million, with an additional £17million payable in add-ons.
But, a move has stalled due to money owed to De Jong by Barcelona in deferred wages from the pandemic. The Dutchman, who sees his contract at Camp Nou expire in 2026, reportedly agreed to reduce his salary by £9.4million in 2020/21 and by £4.3million last season meaning that he's owed £13.7million in basic wages.
The Telegraph add that De Jong is to be owed another £3.4million in waived bonuses for playing in at least 60 per cent of Barcelona’s matches across the previous two seasons. Therefore, unless a settlement is reached, any suitor who looks to sign the midfielder could have to cover as much as £17million in deferred wages.
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