Chelsea reportedly have no desire to meet Barcelona's current demands for midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
Throughout the summer transfer window, the Netherlands international has been heavily linked with a switch to Manchester United, a consequence of Barcelona allegedly looking to cash in on one of their most prized assets.
However, the situation is complicated by De Jong being owed a large chunk of deferred wages by the Catalan giants and United not participating in the Champions League in 2022-23.
The most recent report has claimed that De Jong has already informed the Premier League giants that he intends to remain at Camp Nou for at least another 12 months.
With Barcelona having already made five high-profile additions, that stance will not tie in with the desire of president Joan Laporta to reduce the club's outgoings and generate funds to boost their financial position.
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With that in mind, an alternative is likely to be sought, and Chelsea are allegedly monitoring the situation ahead of potentially making their own approach.
Nevertheless, according to Sport, the Blues have no intention of meeting Barcelona's demands, which are said to be in the region of £67m.
The report suggests that the 25-year-old is "much more open" to moving to London if a resolution can be found between the two clubs.
As it stands, however, that remains unclear with Barcelona having twice edged out Chelsea in the transfer market this summer to sign Raphinha and Jules Kounde.
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While Chelsea appear to have a lingering interest in De Jong, Barcelona are known to be keen to sign each of Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso.
It creates a scenario where discussions between the two clubs are likely to remain ongoing with Barcelona possessing the greater desire to part ways with De Jong.
That said, Chelsea will only entertain signing the midfielder if they reduce their current options with Conor Gallagher having already strengthened Thomas Tuchel's ranks in that area of the pitch.
De Jong still has four years remaining on his contract, leaving the former Ajax man in no rush to depart a club who he has represented since 2019.
However, he now faces competition from Franck Kessie, on top of Sergio Busquets, Gavi, Pedri and Nico Gonzalez already being at the club.
Darren Plant
