Chelsea make shock bid for Barcelona midfielder?

Chelsea have reportedly made an approach to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this month.

De Jong has been a key figure for the Catalans since his arrival three years ago, but there are claims that he could be sold.

The club need to lower their wage bill by more than €200m before they can spend freely in the transfer market again.

They have managed to compensate with new contracts on lower wages, but may also have to offload some key players.

De Jong is one of the top names who has been linked with an exit. El Nacional claims that the Blues have made an offer.

They have offered a fee of around €40m for the former Ajax graduate, but it is unclear whether the Catalans will approve the sum.

Ousmane Dembele, Sergino Dest and Memphis Depay are among players that could be sold ahead of De Jong this month.

Depay only joined the club earlier this summer, but he is already evaluating his future as he does not have the assurance of starts.