It seemed like Manchester United had a straight shot at signing Frenkie de Jong this summer. Then reports emerged suggesting Chelsea could also be interested in a deal if his proposed move to Old Trafford faced any unexpected hurdles.
United are still confident of completing a deal for the Dutchman after agreeing a transfer fee of €65million (£56.14m) plus add-ons with Barcelona for his signature, and in an ideal world, Erik ten Hag hopes to have him available for the start of the upcoming pre-season tour schedule.
Yet the reported presence of Chelsea raises a question about United's pursuit of their top summer target and whether or not he would actually want to join them if rival interest was aroused.
