Man Utd, Chelsea make Frenkie de Jong transfer 'decision' amid 'consistency' concerns

By Carter White | 15 Oct 2026 17:00, Last updated: 15 Oct 2026 17:48

Manchester United and Chelsea person reportedly cooled their involvement successful Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

The 29-year-old is supposedly a imaginable New Year accomplishment astatine Stamford Bridge, wherever Xabi Alonso's broadside are targeting engine-room improvements after failing to motion Lamine Camara from Monaco.

De Jong has not featured successful a competitory lucifer since suffering genu ligament harm during a World Cup clash against Morocco for the Netherlands connected June 30, meaning that the erstwhile Ajax antheral missed the entirety of Barca's pre-season.

However, the 70-time planetary precocious returned to first-team grooming and is eyeing up a spot successful the Catalan club's matchday squad for the away clash astatine Real Betis successful La Liga connected Saturday.

To accidental that Barca person struggled successful the lack of the Dutchman would beryllium a barefaced lie, with Flick's troops marching to 10 consecutive wins astatine the opening of a run which those of a Camp Nou persuasion are praying concludes successful Champions League glory.

Man Utd, Chelsea 'cool' De Jong involvement implicit 'consistency' concerns

According to Spanish work SPORT, Premier League clubs Manchester United and Chelsea person taken a measurement backmost successful their respective pursuits of Barcelona midfielder De Jong up of the January window.

The study claims that the Red Devils and the Blues are acrophobic by the 29-year-old's agelong database of wounded problems, with the latest keeping him sidelined for the opening months of the existent campaign.

It is understood that determination are worries implicit whether De Jong would beryllium capable to churn retired accordant minutes successful the hustle and bustle of the Premier League, which is wide considered the astir competitory part successful satellite football.

With the Dutchman's existent declaration astatine Camp Nou expiring successful the summertime of 2029, Barcelona are successful nary unreserved to portion ways with the player, who is connected the verge of a instrumentality from his knee-related setback.

Whilst transportation speculation continues to develop, De Jong is supposedly afloat focused connected getting up to velocity and challenging Rodri, Pedri and Gavi for a regular spot successful Barca's midfield.

Man Utd, Chelsea person understandable reservations

Since his power from Ajax to Barcelona during the summertime of 2019, De Jong has spent plentifulness of clip connected the attraction table, which should service arsenic a informing to immoderate imaginable Premier League suitors.

The English apical formation has go progressively carnal successful caller years, meaning that players request to beryllium robust capable to woody with the displacement successful style, arsenic good arsenic the well-documented fixture congestion.

All the signs constituent towards De Jong struggling successful that facet if a determination to Manchester United oregon Chelsea materialised successful the adjacent future, however, his axenic quality could beryllium excessively tempting to ignore.