Chelsea have reportedly told Barcelona they must pay €25million to sign both Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso, a deal which is looking more likely by the minute.
That's because Chelsea are now believed to be seriously interested in signing Frenkie de Jong, who's been linked with a move to rivals Manchester United all summer. The Blues could agree a swap deal with Barcelona for the midfielder, 25, reducing his £71m valuation.
It's claimed Chelsea are in talks with Barcelona for De Jong and there's a chance he could end up at Stamford Bridge soon. The Spanish club reportedly want him off their books due to him being one of their highest earners and because he'd command a high transfer fee.
According to Spanish outlet SPORT, Barcelona are hoping to make progress in their pursuit of Azpilicueta, 32, and Alonso, 31. It's believed Chelsea have asked for £20.9m for the pair, a price Barcelona may struggle to afford due to their debt and expenditure.
Xavi's side have already spent over £130m this summer on the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde. The Spanish giants have also lured Franck Kessie and former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen to the Camp Nou on free transfers.
Barcelona reportedly don't want to pay more than €10m (£8.4m) for either Azpilicueta or Alonso. Chelsea are thought to be sticking to their price for now, yet that could drop if they sign defenders Wesley Fofana from Leicester and Marc Cucurella from Brighton.
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Fofana is said to be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea are leading Manchester City in the race for Cucurella's signature. As Azpilicueta often plays at centre-back for the Blues, Fofana could replace him. Like Alonso, Cucurella is a left-back.
Chelsea may also be willing to let Barcelona have Azpilicueta and Alonso on the cheap if they can get a bargain price for De Jong. Man Utd have agreed a £71m deal with the Spanish side for the Dutchman, but he's still resisting a move to Old Trafford.
Chelsea could propose a £50m swap deal with Barcelona for De Jong that includes Azpilicueta and Alonso. Barcelona would get both targets and the midfielder off their wage bill - plus some cash - while the Blues would sign one of Europe's finest central midfielders.
Azpilicueta, 32, is Chelsea's captain. The Spain international joined the Blues from Marseille a decade ago and has gone on to achieve significant success at Stamford Bridge, making 476 senior appearances for the club. His existing contract expires in June 2023.
Since joining Chelsea, Azpilicueta has won two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, the Champions League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. Alonso, 31, was also part of the squad for much of that success, joining in August 2016.
Like Azpilicueta, Alonso has just one year left on his deal. His importance to the team has dwindled since the arrival of Ben Chilwell in August 2020, although he did play a lot last term due to the England international's serious knee injury. He's since recovered.
