Barcelona stance on accepting two stars for Frenkie de Jong as Chelsea start negotiations

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is proving hot property this summer, though Chelsea won’t be able to strike a deal for the Dutchman by including Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso in the deal. The pair have been cited as transfer targets of the La Liga outfit previously.

Manchester United have been trying to secure the signature of De Jong all summer long, though negotiations have stalled on what seems like a weekly basis. Numerous reasons have been given for the Red Devils not being able to get a deal over the line, such as the player wanting to remain at Barcelona and also because he is waiting for a major payment from his employers.

But Chelsea have now opened negotiations with the Catalan giants and believe that they will be able to bring the midfielder to the Premier League. Thomas Tuchel’s chances of landing De Jong are also boosted due to Barcelona’s interest in Azpilicueta and Alonso, but Sport report that it is unlikely that the pair will be directly involved in the deal.

They say that it would ‘be less beneficial’ for Barca to accept such a deal due to La Liga’s salary limits. Therefore, they will be demanding a fee in the region of £66million.

De Jong would add a touch of class to Chelsea’s already well-stocked midfield, though it could come at the expense of some of their fringe players. Questions have been raised about whether Billy Gilmour, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Conor Gallagher will be included in Tuchel’s plans next season, and the arrival of former Ajax star De Jong would push them further down the pecking order.

Barca have made it no secret that they are targeting Chelsea’s Spanish duo, having already signed Andreas Christensen from the Blues earlier this summer when his contract at Stamford Bridge expired. The Blues are in talks to sign Brighton defender Marc Cucurella, which would cover for the departure of Alonso.

However, club captain Azpilicueta may be harder to replace. Speaking about Barca’s approach of the 32-year-old earlier this summer, Tuchel said: “We don’t think so much about other clubs. The focus is on us and what we need. I said that to him and I say it to you that I understand on a personal and a career level.

“But I am not only in this role to give him what he wants. I am a manager for Chelsea who wants to do what’s best for Chelsea. He doesn’t like it but he understands. It is tough for him because the other club is permanently on him. On September 1 when things calm down, then he can play on his highest level.”