Erik ten Hag, who joined Manchester United in the summer of 2022, has made Frenkie De Jong a top transfer target, and the club has been actively pursuing a deal for him. Despite Barcelona’s willingness to trade him, De Jong has been adamant about staying with the club.

According to reports, although De Jong played a crucial role in Barcelona’s La Liga triumph last season, he is open to the idea of leaving the club at the end of the current campaign. Chelsea is said to be leading the race to sign De Jong and is reportedly willing to offer €100 million for the Dutch midfielder.

Barcelona’s management is reportedly considering selling De Jong to improve the club’s financial situation, as they have concerns about his performance. De Jong’s current contract with Barcelona has two more years remaining, and he is one of the highest earners at the club. Although there has been no progress in renewing his contract, De Jong’s representatives are aware of the interest from Manchester United, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain.

Manchester United has been interested in signing De Jong for the past 18 months and remains keen on securing his services. Chelsea is also willing to pay a significant sum of €85 million to secure the deal, as they have already made substantial investments in midfield reinforcements.

In addition to pursuing De Jong, Chelsea recently signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for £107 million in January and set a club record by acquiring Moises Caicedo from Brighton for £114 million in the summer. Chelsea also paid £58 million to sign midfielder Romeo Lavia from Southampton, although Lavia has struggled with injuries and has seen limited playing time this season.

Due to De Jong’s high salary demands, reaching an agreement or engaging in negotiations has been deemed impossible, despite Barcelona’s sporting director Deco’s efforts to initiate contract extension talks.