Barcelona facing €130m transfer battle over key midfielder

Barcelona are facing a battle to hold on to their key young players

Chelsea are ready to take advantage of Barcelona's ongoing financial troubles and make a move for three of Xavi Hernandez's players. Roman Abramovich is keen to help Thomas Tuchel strengthen his team and is ready to sanction a €130 million (£110m) shopping spree that could leave the Catalan club short of three players, one of whom is very highly-rated.

The first player on the Blues' wanted list is Frenkie de Jong, the Dutch midfielder who joined Barcelona from Ajax in a €75 million deal in 2019. He was expected to fill the void left by the departure of Andres Iniesta, but has failed to capture the form he showed with the Eredivisie club.

De Jong is not a guaranteed starter under Xavi and has fallen behind the likes of Pedri and Gavi in the pecking order, and could be tempted into a new challenge. According to El Nacional, Chelsea are ready to part with €60 million to bring the Netherlands international to Stamford Bridge either this month or in the summer.

The second player on Chelsea's shortlist is someone Barcelona will have no intention to part with. 17-year-old midfielder Gavi, who broke into the first-team this season, has proven to be a vital player under both former manager Ronald Koeman and incumbent Xavi.

The Catalan club has been desperately trying to tie down Gavi to a new long-term deal, but has thus far failed to reach an agreement. The Spain international's current contract expires in 2023, and his release clause is set at €50 million, which Chelsea is ready to trigger.

Joan Laporta wants to keep the club's young talent at the Camp Nou, but their financial issues are playing a part in their current dilemma. Chelsea is ready to triple Gavi's wages and hand him a long-term contract, but it will come down to the player's inclination to leave if they trigger the midfielder's release clause.

The final player on Chelsea's wish list is full-back Sergino Dest, who could leave Barcelona this month after falling out of favour under Xavi. The United States international has garnered interest from Bayern Munich, but the Blues are looking for a replacement for Ben Chilwell at left back, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury.

Barcelona need to raise funds and slash their wage bill if they want to further strengthen their squad this month. Xavi is keen to sign a traditional number nine and has made Alvaro Morata his primary target. Their need for reinforcements could see Barcelona sanction moves for out of favour first-team players, but Gavi is unlikely to be on that list unless he refuses to sign a new deal.