Chelsea could be an option for Barcelona superstar Frenkie de Jong. (Photo by SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Xavi has come out and stated that Frenkie de Jong is an essential player for Barcelona amidst links to Chelsea. The Dutch national has been played as a centre-back during the pre-season, with uncertainty around the midfielder’s future.
De Jong has been touted by Manchester United as well, with former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford now. However, with the Catalans in financial distress, it seems the Dutch national is one of the players that could leave this summer.
Xavi, speaking after the game against Real Madrid in Las Vegas via Metro, admires De Jong and feels the Netherlands international is a “key player”. But the Spanish manager also admits that his hands are tied given the economic situation.
“We’ve had private conversations that are very important, that I will not reveal here. He’s a key player, but then there’s the economic situation and Financial Fair Play.”
Chelsea are in need of quality players at the moment. Our squad was depleted at the end of last season, with vital players leaving on free transfers. The sanctions against the club didn’t help our cause in that regard.
We finished the previous campaign on a disappointing note. Fans were expecting the Blues to challenge for the title after last summer’s business, but we were off the pace in the second half of the season. Also, there’s uncertainty around the future of some of our current players.
De Jong has been deployed at centre-back during the Blaugrana’s pre-season tour in the US. While some people feel the management is trying to push the player out, Xavi has defended his decision to play the Dutch midfielder as a defender.
“I am not sending messages to anyone. I like him a lot as a player. Playing as a centre-back, he can give us a lot, he can adapt to that position. We want that the centre-back distributes the ball and he does it very well.”
De Jong has established himself as one of the best box-to-box players over the years. It remains to be seen whether the midfielder’s change in position during the recent games compels him to leave Barcelona.
If the 25-year-old does decide to end his stint with the Catalans, Chelsea are a competitive team to think about. If we do go after the player, we can boast of Champions League football next season after already having won one a couple of seasons back.
With the contract of Ngolo Kante ending at the end of next season, it would be wise for the Blues to be prepared in case the French national ends up leaving next summer. And De Jong is a quality option currently in the market.
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