Chelsea are close to an agreement with Barcelona for the transfer of Frenkie de Jong but are not yet convinced he wants to leave his current club, 90min understands.

The west London side have in recent weeks joined Premier League rivals Manchester United in pursuit of the Dutch international.

United have already agreed a fee with Barcelona worth an overall €85m to sign the player, though have not advanced the deal any further due to the issue of deferred wages which are still owed to De Jong by Barcelona. Sources indicate United remain confident the player will join them if the issue resolves but Chelsea are now strong competition.

De Jong has spoken to United manager Erik ten Hag on a number of occasions and the Old Trafford club have still not given up on the player, even as they target deals for other midfielders – namely Adrien Rabiot, who is expected to join from Juventus.