Chelsea could use two factors to sign 25-year-old Manchester United target | OneFootball

Chelsea could use Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt friendship to complete transfer move

According to Spanish outlet Sport (h/t Daily Express), Chelsea could use two lucrative factors for convincing Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong to switch to West London.

Frenkie de Jong’s 2019 transfer to Barcelona hasn’t gone as predicted, as the midfielder has fallen short of expectations. Although he continues to be an important player for Xavi, there are doubts raised about his future at Barca.

Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for the former Ajax midfielder. But it is believed that the Blues have planned to use two vital factors in an attempt to hijack the transfer from their Premier League rivals.

Matthijs de Ligt and De Jong were a decisive duo at Ajax. (Photo by Erwin Spek/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Chelsea could use de Jong’s ‘best friend’, Juventus centre-back and Chelsea target Matthijs de Ligt, to try and convince him to come to London. It seems the duo are long-term buddies and share a strong relationship.

Nevertheless, they also have the advantage of Champions League football that United can not offer currently. There is also no guarantee that they can achieve it next season with Erik ten Hag taking over a team that failed to impress last campaign.

Sooner or later the team will need to hunt for replacements in midfield. N’Golo Kanté, Jorginho, and Mateo Kovacic all missed a substantial amount of time due to injury this season. The Frenchman and Italian, in particular, seem to be on the wane due to age.

Barcelona showed no intentions of selling Frenkie de Jong. (Image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images.)

25-year-old De Jong most definitely fits the bill as a long-term prospect for our midfield. The Blues already have a number of outstanding young players on their squad, and the addition of the Dutchman will only make them stronger. It is unclear if the Blues will make an effort to sign de Jong.

Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour, two Chelsea loanees who are excelling in the Premier League this season, could benefit if he chooses not to travel to West London. But De Jong is a sort of player that can instantly slot in and start running our midfield under Tuchel.

However, it appears that Barcelona is where the Dutch star’s ambitions lay. Signing both De Jong and De Ligt would be a dream double capture but it won’t be easy or cheap given their age profiles, talent, and their importance to their current teams.