Chelsea ready to pay €100 million to sign Manchester United target - Reports
Chelsea are reportedly being tipped to spend a whopping €100 million to sign Frenkie De Jong, who was previously linked with a move to Manchester United.
The Blues have been one of Europe's top spenders in the transfer market since new American businessman Todd Boehly took ownership of the club in 2022. Chelsea have already splashed over £1 billion since then.
They've spent huge sums on the likes of Moises Caicedo (£115 million), Enzo Fernandez (£106 million, and Wesley Fofana (£75 million). According to Sport, the West London club are still prepared to spend big, with Barcelona star De Jong on their wishlist.
The Dutchman is widely considered to be one of Europe's best midfielders. Also, considering Barcelona's financial woes, De Jong could be one player they could likely cash in on in the summer. It is believed that a fee in the region of €100 million could be enough to tempt Barca into selling one of their most prized assets.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are among the clubs who currently have the deep pockets to meet Barca's valuation for the highly-rated midfielder.
De Jong turned down a move to the Premier League two seasons ago when Manchester United offered €80 million for the Dutchman's services. He has since gone on to become a key player in the heart of Barca's midfield.
It will be interesting to see if the Blues will be able to land De Jong from Barcelona in the coming transfer window. The 26-year-old midfielder has so far made a total of 22 appearances for Barcelona this season, registering one goal.
Mauricio Pochettino believes that Chelsea's win against Aston Villa could be a starting point for his team
The Blues secured an emphatic 3-1 win against Aston Villa at Villa Park in mid-week to move on to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Goals from Nicolas Jackson, Conor Gallagher, and a brilliant free-kick from Enzo Fernandez were enough to put an end to their run of two consecutive defeats. The Blues lost back-to-back games against Wolves and Liverpool in the Premier League, conceding eight goals.
Speaking after the win against Villa, head coach Pochettino revealed that he hopes the victory ushers in a fresh start for his team. He said via France24:
"Before (Villa) we had some good performances, but we are not consistent enough. Maybe it could be the starting point for us, starting to be consistent and to show more often this type of performance."
Next for Pochettino's Chelsea side will be an away trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Monday, February 12.