Manchester United have made a concession to Barcelona in an attempt to finally get a deal over the line for Frenkie de Jong, but they may have already been beaten to the transfer.
United have spent much of the summer trying to prise De Jong away from Barcelona, with every week bringing a new twist in the tale. They have not given up on landing the midfielder, who played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax, and thought they had made a breakthrough on Monday.
However, Wednesday brought the potentially crushing news that Chelsea have launched their own attempt to sign De Jong. They have made contact with Barca and are now strong contenders for the Dutchman’s signature, with Todd Boehly’s money and Thomas Tuchel’s desperation for reinforcements driving the move.
