‘De Jong wants to go to Chelsea’ says source at ‘very top at Man Utd’

A source ‘at the very, very top at Man United’ has said Frenkie De Jong ‘wants to go to Chelsea’.

Manchester United agreed a £71m fee with Barcelona for De Jong yonks ago but reports have consistently stated that the midfielder wants to remain at the Nou Camp.

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De Jong is owed around £17m in deferred wages by the Spanish club, who have told him he will also have to take a significant pay cut if he wants to stay.

The 25-year-old continues to be pushed towards the exit, and Chelsea’s interest has seemingly ramped up in recent days, with reports claiming a move to Stamford Bridge may be of interest to De Jong, who wants to play Champions League football.

And Harry Redknapp says it’s now “a fact” that the Dutch international “wants to go to Chelsea”, as the former Premier League manager divulged information he heard from a Man United bigwig.

“Now it looks like De Jong wants to go to Chelsea,” Redknapp told The Byline. “I know that for a fact, he wants to go to Chelsea. So Man United are not going to get him, I’ve had that from somebody right at the very, very top at Man United.

“He really wants to go to Chelsea, so if he goes to Chelsea and Man United don’t get him, I don’t know where they are going and if Chelsea get him then he would obviously be a fantastic signing for them.”

Ten Hag was asked about De Jong in a press conference on Friday afternoon and joked that he “didn’t know” that United are trying to sign Barcelona star.

“We want Frenkie?” Ten Hag told reporters ahead of United’s Premier League opener against Brighton.

“It’s about the right players… At this moment, we have players in that position who perform really well. It would be a good situation [to sign more players], but I am happy with the current squad. We need players. You don’t need any player; you need the right player.”

Ten Hag insists he is “happy” with his squad and “happy” with the signings they have made this summer.

“That would be a good situation [to have transfer business done], but I am happy with the squad,” he said. “I am happy with the signings up until now. We are working altogether. I am happy with the current squad and we need the right players.”