Chelsea hold direct talks for Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong
According to The Athletic (h/t Manchester Evening News), Chelsea are in direct talks for Manchester United target and Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
The Blues are in conversation with the Blaugrana. The Stamford Bridge side are confident about securing the signature of the 25-year-old.
Man United are still in the race. But now, the Red Devils need to fight off interest from Chelsea to get De Jong to Old Trafford this summer.
The Manchester-based club have been chasing the Dutch midfielder for a while now. Erik ten Hag has been given three signings this summer so far. But it seems the former Ajax Amsterdam manager wants to reunite with the 25-year-old at United.
The Red Devils lack a quality number eight in the side. With Paul Pogba gone, there’s no real flair player in the middle of the park. We need someone in the engine room to control the game.
United have signed Christian Eriksen this summer. The Denmark international has been played in the centre of midfield by Ten Hag during pre-season. But the 30-year-old is more of an attacking midfielder.
Bruno Fernandes is an elite player in the squad. But again, the Portuguese thrives in the number 10 role. Fred and McTominay were used primarily as pivots in the side in the previous campaign.
Fred
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This makes signing an excellent midfielder like De Jong a priority to be more competitive. The Dutch midfielder is also capable of playing as a pivot. Ten Hag needs to be given the tools to create a strong side to hopefully take United to the pinnacle.
