Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp says he “knows for a fact” that Frenkie de Jong wants to play for Chelsea rather than Manchester United.
De Jong has been United’s top transfer target all summer but despite agreeing a deal with Barcelona over his transfer, the move has stalled due to the player refusing to leave.
While some reports claim that he is simply refusing to leave until the Blaugrana pay him the €17 million in deferred wages they owe him, other reports claim that he does not want to join United.
There has even been speculation that he wants to join Bayern Munich.
Chelsea are also reportedly interested and the 25 year old is keen on a London move and on Champions League football.
And speaking on “The Byline” (via Sport.es), Redknapp said:
“Now it seems that De Jong wants to go to Chelsea, I know for a fact that he wants to go to Chelsea.”
Sport adds that Redknapp obtained this information from “a high-ranking Old Trafford team official.”
It is logical to assume that United would have pulled the plug on the deal by now, with the deck heavily stacked against them, unless they have a couple of aces up their sleeve.
From De Jong’s early protests on camera that he doesn’t want to leave the Camp Nou to these latest reports linking him to other clubs, there has been nothing coming out of Spain or Old Trafford that casts any light on why United are still confident of capturing his signature.
Some reports have suggested that there is no plan B and it is therefore simply a case of waiting and hoping on United’s part.
But fans find it hard to believe that Erik ten Hag will not strengthen his midfield one way or another this summer after an already flimsy department was decimated by the departures of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba when their contracts expired in June.
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