In a recent report, Sport stated that Chelsea are inching closer towards recruiting Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this month. It has been mentioned that the Blues are close to reaching an agreement with Barca for the Dutch midfield ace during this summer transfer window.
De Jong’s Good Form At The Nou Camp Last Season
De Jong had a decent campaign with the Catalan club recently as he managed to give a good account of himself at the heart of Xavi’s midfield. The Dutch talent made 45 appearances for the Catalan club last season, netting four goals and earning five assists in all competitions.
The 25-year-old performed at a high level by averaging 1.1 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 0.5 shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.6 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. He even took care of the ball well when distributing possession from midfield after completing 91.3% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
Following the arrival of Franck Kessie at the Nou Camp earlier this summer, de Jong is facing an uncertain future at Barca which could open the door for Chelsea to land him this month.
Is De Jong A Good Option For Chelsea Head Coach Thomas Tuchel?
De Jong is an energetic midfielder who can get stuck in with a few solid tackles to make life tough for the opposition at the centre of the park. He has got the eye to play a killer pass in the final third and can make a few clever runs with the ball from midfield. De Jong usually functions as a box-to-box midfielder but can even fill in as a defensive midfielder if needed.
The Dutch sensation can retain possession effortlessly in the opponent’s half and would be a decent fit for Thomas Tuchel‘s style of play at Stamford Bridge as long as he can make a smooth transition to life in England.
We can expect de Jong to add more energy and dynamism to Chelsea‘s midfield and increase competition for places within their squad. Thus, it makes sense for the Blues to try everything they can to secure the services of the Dutch playmaker during this summer transfer window.
At 25, de Jong will only get better in the coming seasons which makes him an excellent option for the West London club to pursue this summer. He might even help Chelsea challenge for a top-four place and maybe even compete for a major trophy this season.
