Frenkie de Jong reaches decision on joining Chelsea from Barcelona in January
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso wants to bring Frenkie de Jong to Stamford Bridge, but the Barcelona midfielder does not fancy a transfer, according to a report.
De Jong has been at Barcelona since the summer of 2019 and is under contract at the Catalan giants until 2029.
The 29-year-old Netherlands international midfielder has been a key player for Barcelona over the years.
During his time at Spotify Camp Nou so far, De Jong has won LaLiga thrice and the Copa del Rey twice so far.
The Dutchman is on the sidelines at the moment, as he is recovering from a knee injury.
When De Jong is eventually back to full match fitness, the Barcelona star will find it hard to replace Rodri in manager Hansi Flick’s starting lineup.
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Rodri joined Barcelona from Man City in the summer transfer window and has established himself as a key figure in the team.
Former Chelsea midfielder Ruud Gullit recently said that he hopes that his Dutch compatriot De Jong stays at Barcelona.
Gullit said: “The first thing Frenkie De Jong needs to do is get fit because now he has competition from Rodri at Barcelona.
“If his future lies away from Barcelona it will be because he can’t play a game, and then he should look for another club where he will play, but I hope he can still do a job for Barcelona.
“Maybe he can play alongside Rodri in the same midfield.
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“It all depends on what the team needs but Frenkie is a great player, a fantastic player, but the most important thing is that he needs to play.
“He needs to play for the national team but it’s important for himself too.”
Frenkie De Jong wants Barcelona star amid Chelsea interest
It has now emerged in the Spanish media that Chelsea manager Alonso would love to work with De Jong at the Premier League.
However, De Jong has no plans to leave Barcelona in the middle of the season, according to journalist Juan Jesus, who has over 22,000 followers on X.
Jesus wrote on X at 3:28pm on September 27: “EXCLUSIVE: Despite the ongoing rumors, the reality is clear-cut: Hansi Flick fully backs Frenkie de Jong.
“As we already revealed, the German coach sees him as a key piece and already has a specific plan designed for his return.
“His recovery has gone smoothly, and he’ll be back after the break; in fact, he’s already started touching the ball again with impeccable sensations.
“The arrival of Rodri or the Pedri-Rodri pairing poses no obstacle for him in the eyes of the staff.
“However, his situation hasn’t gone unnoticed in England. Several Premier League clubs are closely following his progress, especially Chelsea, where Xabi Alonso is an absolute admirer of the Dutchman.
“Despite this interest, the stance of both parties is firm: Flick wants him to stay, and the player is only thinking about succeeding at Barca.”
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