Chelsea and Barcelona came toe-to-toe with each other throughout the course of Todd Boehly's first summer transfer window in charge - with next summer shaping up to be exactly the same.
The Blues were pipped to the signings of Jules Kounde and Raphinha by the Catalan giants, whilst Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso made the move from Stamford Bridge to Camp Nou on a free transfer. Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta was heavily linked with a move to Barca, but Chelsea were able to convince the Spaniard to sign a contract extension and end speculation over a potential return to Spain.
Boehly was keen on signing Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong to reinforce the Blues' midfield, but the Dutch talent refused to leave as he continues to be involved in an ongoing dispute over his wages with the La Liga outfit. N'Golo Kante and Jorginho are both out of contract at Stamford Bridge next summer and it could spark the battle between Barca and Chelsea in the transfer market back into life.
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There has been no progression in negotiations between Chelsea and Kante over a contract extension with the World Cup winner looking set to leave west London after seven years. The French midfielder joined the Blues from Leicester back in 2016 for a £32million fee and has been a revelation in the heart of the Chelsea team, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
A report from L’Équipe states that Kante is a potential target for Barcelona, with the Catalans’ director of football Mateu Alemany indicating that the club are looking to make free signings for next year’s summer transfer window. With their ongoing financial issues and the disappointment of exiting the Champions League in the group stage, Barca are identifying future free agents who are likely to accept their new wage structure as a priority.
Kante is set to miss France’s World Cup campaign next month after aggravating a hamstring injury that he picked up against Tottenham in August. It looks increasingly likely that the 31-year-old will be leaving Stamford Bridge next summer, though his exit could pave the way for the Blues to make another move for De Jong.
The Dutch midfielder has only played a full 90 minutes on six occasions so far this season with Xavi Hernandez preferring to give Franck Kessie, Pablo Gavi and Pedri starts ahead of the former Ajax man. Barca signed Kessie, Christensen, Alonso and Hector Bellerin on free transfers last summer and could repeat that trick with Kante next year.
De Jong's frustrations with the club could see him accept that he may not win his wage dispute and instead look to cut ties with the club and look for a fresh start in the Premier League, with Chelsea ready to re-enter negotiations over a transfer.
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