-Ikenna Okafor
Chelsea are hoping to tie up a double deal for Barcelona duo Frenkie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to reports.
The Blues have already got a number of deals over the line this summer with Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella, Carney Chukwuemeka, Kalidou Koulibaly and Gabriel Slonina all joining.
But Chelsea are far from done as they look for a midfielder – despite it being their strongest position – and a striker with the possibility that they are still on the lookout for another centre-back after losing both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfer at the end of June.
De Jong has been the longest-running transfer saga of the summer with Manchester United declaring their interest in the Netherlands international well over two months ago.
Chelsea have since entered the race for the Barcelona midfielder but it is De Jong’s situation at the Camp Nou that is holding up any potential transfer.
In an ideal world De Jong would want to stay with Catalan giants – but their refusal to pay him the £17m in deferred wages and bonuses he’s owed from the height of the Covid-19 pandemic means a stay is looking unlikely.
De Jong’s representatives arrived in Barcelona yesterday to bring an end to the ‘financial stand-off’ between the two parties as De Jong ‘will not agree to leave until he is paid’ the £17m he is owed.
It is already clear that Chelsea are willing to match United’s €85m bid for De Jong with the Blues a more attractive option as they can provide Champions League football this season.New Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who has already splashed out over £170m this summer, also wants former Arsenal striker, Aubameyang and the Gabon international has now ‘instructed his advisers to speak to the La Liga giants to decide on his next move’.
Chelsea plan De Jong, Aubemayang deals