After the capture of Jules Kounde, Barcelona have now started their quest to offload their unwanted stars in an attempt to reduce their wage deficit and register new signings, including Kounde and Robert Lewandowski.
Frenkie de Jong has been viewed as the ideal candidate for departure as the midfielder is currently sitting on a lucrative wage deal and could generate a significant transfer revenue.
It could, in turn, help Barcelona balance the books ahead of the new season. However, the club have found it difficult to find a suitor for the midfielder, who has resisted all attempts to lure him away from Camp Nou.
The former Ajax starlet has already rebuffed Manchester United twice, as he is not interested in joining a club that are not in a position to offer him Champions League football.
A loan move to Bayern Munich has been mooted, but the likelihood of the transfer appears to be low as the Bavarians had already completed the capture of Ryan Gravenberch.
SportBILD journalist Christian Falk has confirmed Bayern’s lack of interest in de Jong as well. But according to the same journalist, it appears Chelsea are considering a late summer swoop for the Barcelona midfielder.
Indeed, Falk suggests the Blues could consider a move for the Dutchman if their star player N’Golo Kante refuses to sign a contract extension in the summer.
The Frenchman has been facing an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge, with his current contract expiring at the end of next season. It has forced Chelsea to look at several market opportunities, knowing the club may have to see him leave for free in 2023 if they fail to offload him in the summer.
In an attempt to replace him, Thomas Tuchel has identified De Jong as the ideal candidate, with the German tactician rating him highly for his technical prowess.
One would expect de Jong to not have any issues with a move to Stamford Bridge either, as Chelsea can offer him a lucrative salary, along with Champions League football next season.