Chelsea owner keen to raid Barcelona in the summer for star midfielder – report

Chelsea made headlines in January by taking advantage of a loophole in the Financial Fair Play regulations. With the club offering long contracts to players, it allowed them to sign a host of star individuals including the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Mykhaylo Mudryk, among others.

However, Chelsea’s thirst is not sated yet and it appears the club are ready to make a move for Frenkie de Jong in the coming summer.

This has been reported by SPORT, which claims that Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is seeking a new midfielder to power the team’s second line of press next season. To that end, he is plotting a raid on Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong.

The club do boast the services of N’Golo Kante, but the Frenchman’s fitness has been questioned recently.

Barcelona were even linked with a move for Kante, whose contract at Stamford Bridge expires at the end of the season. The player, though, could end up signing a contract extension in West London.

Nevertheless, the demand for a midfielder remains high at Stamford Bridge and that is where de Jong comes into the fray.

The Dutchman is rated highly in the Chelsea camp due to his experience and technical prowess which should make him an ideal prospect for the Blues. He could indeed build a formidable partnership alongside someone like Enzo Fernandez, ultimately adding more dimension to Chelsea’s midfield play.

Boehly is also very confident about signing de Jong, as he believes that Barcelona could be tempted to sanction the sale of the former Ajax starlet if they receive a good offer, especially given the club’s current economic woes.

However, it must be noted that de Jong’s status in the Barcelona team has risen significantly this season due to his consistent performances.

And with Sergio Busquets potentially leaving Camp Nou at the end of the season, de Jong could end up becoming an even more integral figure in Xavi’s plans for the season ahead.