Sports
Manchester United and Chelsea Cool on Barcelona's De Jong
October 15, 2026 at 12:59 PM · Updated 1d ago
Manchester United and Chelsea have pulled back from signing Frenkie de Jong in January amid fitness doubts following his knee injury.
- English clubs Manchester United and Chelsea have lowered their interest in signing De Jong during the January transfer window, Spanish media reported.
- Barcelona is open to studying offers for the 29-year-old midfielder, whose contract runs until June 2029.
- De Jong has not played an official match this season after sustaining a knee injury during the 2026 World Cup.
- Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has experimented with playing Frenkie de Jong as a centre-back during training, reports said.
- Growing midfield competition threatens De Jong's role, and his status as a guaranteed starter is no longer assured, the reports said.
- De Jong insisted his priority is regaining full fitness after his knee injury, rather than securing a move away.