Chelsea on stand-by as Barcelona prepare for crunch talks with one of their top-earners

Chelsea are one of the sides interested in seeing how Frenkie De Jong’s contract negotiations play out.

The Blues have a wealth of talent on their books but are always on the lookout to add more, and De Jong is one of European football’s big names who faces an uncertain future.

Although the 27-year-old is out of contract at Barcelona in 2026, Hansi Flick’s side hope to reach an agreement to extend the midfielder’s stay at the Nou Camp.

Barcelona hoping to extend Frenkie De Jong contract

The sticking point in negotiations could be over the player’s salary though.

De Jong is among the side’s highest earners and, according to Capology, picks up £300,000-per week. After agreeing to defer a portion of his wages during the Covid-hit time, he is also owed a large sum.

So extending his contract isn’t going to be a straightforward operation for Joan Laporta.

Chelsea ready to pounce

Consequently, according to a recent report from Fichajes, a queue of top clubs is forming hoping to offer the Dutchman a route out of Catalonia.

One of them is Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea. The Italian manager is a fan of Barcelona’s number 21 and would welcome him at Stamford Bridge — presumably at the expense of Carney Chukwuemeka — a player who has been heavily linked with leaving the Blues.

De Jong’s future will depend entirely on whether or not he agrees to stay at Barcelona. However, failure to agree terms will a host of top sides, including Manchester United and Bayern Munich, rival Chelsea for his signature.

During his time at Barcelona, De Jong, who joined from Ajax in 2019, has scored 17 goals and registered 21 assists in 214 games in all competitions.