Chelsea make La Liga star summer priority with Todd Boehly said to be ‘huge admirer’

Chelsea will be looking for a third consecutive victory when they face Leicester City on Saturday. 

The Blues arrive at The King Power Stadium off the back of crucial wins over both Leeds United and Borussia Dortmund in the past week, with Graham Potter having eased the pressure on himself with the two results.

Potter will be without a number of key players for the trip, though, including Reece James, Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount.

The likes of Enzo Fernandez and Joao Felix look set to start, though, with the duo having both impressed since moving to Stamford Bridge in January.

New owner Todd Boehly has already splashed out on no fewer than 16 permanent signings since taking charge of the south west London club, but the American is likely to spend big once again this summer following what has already been a disappointing campaign.

A number of players have been linked with a move to Chelsea, but now it appears that Boehly himself is a fan of a current La Liga star.

According to Football Insider, the American is an admirer of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

It is claimed that the owner is a fan of the midfielder and has made him a priority for the upcoming summer transfer window.

De Jong is set to be a target for Chelsea this summer

Chelsea showed an interest in the Dutchman when Boehly first took charge of the club, but the player declined offers to leave his current side.

Rivals Manchester United were also interested in the player last summer and remain keen on completing a deal, with manager Erik ten Hag looking for a reunion with his former Ajax player.

The 25-year-old joined Barcelona from the Dutch side back in 2019 and has since established himself as one of the best midfielders in La Liga, however he may be put up for sale this summer with the La Liga leaders in financial difficulty.

The Netherlands international is contracted to his current side until 2026, which means Barcelona could demand a significant fee for the player.

In total, De Jong has made more than 170 appearances for the Spanish side across all competitions, scoring 15 goals and providing 19 assists.

Chelsea look set to be in the market for at least one central midfielder this summer following the departure of Jorginho to Arsenal back in January.

Frenchman N’Golo Kante is also set to be out of contract at the end of the season, while the futures of Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek remain uncertain.