Manchester United hand massive transfer blow to Chelsea

Manchester United and Chelsea find themselves in very similar positions this summer. Both clubs need to rebuild their squads in order to challenge for titles next season and both of them have had a tough time getting deals over the line till now. The Red Devils have signed only Tyrell Malacia till now, while The Blues are believed to be on the verge of completing a deal for Raheem Sterling.

One player that both the Premier League giants have been linked with recently is Frenkie de Jong of FC Barcelona.

Manchester United’s interest in the midfielder is longstanding, which is not a surprise considering the fact that Erik ten Hag is the manager of the club. On the other hand, Chelsea have always been rumoured with a move for Declan Rice but with that looking unlikely, the club might be moving their eyes towards other players.

But as reported by Marca, if De Jong finds himself in a situation where he has to leave Barcelona, Manchester United is the only option that he values. The presence of Ten Hag seems to play an important factor in that.

Manchester United hand De Jong transfer blow to Chelsea

De Jong was expected to become one of the best midfielders in the world when he moved to Barcelona a few years back, after a tremendous campaign with Ajax under the management of Ten Hag.

It has not quite worked out for him though as his development has stagnated a bit while the emergence of Pedri and Gavi has meant that he has become a bit of an afterthought as well.

As a result, a change of scenery and a reunion with Ten Hag could certainly be an attractive option for De Jong. On the other hand, it looks like Chelsea have very little chance of signing the midfielder.