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    Chelsea transfer blow as Frenkie de Jong ‘doesn’t want to leave Barcelona AT ALL’ despite contract dispute

    FRENKIE DE JONG has dealt Chelsea a huge blow in the transfer market after telling them he doesn’t want to leave Barcelona, reports suggest.Chelsea looked set to hijack De Jong’s transfer to Manchester United, but now it appears they could suffer the same fate as their Premier League rivals by failing to land him.
    Frenkie de Jong is set to snub Chelsea for a Barcelona stayCredit: AFP
    The Dutchman’s future has been a hot topic this summer, with Barcelona reportedly trying to force him out of the club in order to prevent them breaking financial fair play rules.
    The Spanish giant’s attempts to register a number of new signings has been rejected by LaLiga owing to their excessive wage bill, which the sale of De Jong would pay for.
    They are even said to have threatened him with legal action to revert back to his pre-2020 deal after finding “evidence of criminality” around the contract given to him by the club’s old board.
    Regardless, De Jong has no plans to leave.
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    As reported by Sport, the 25-year-old told Chelsea owner Todd Boehly of his intention to stay days ago, with the American then calling him to try and convince him.
    However, De Jong reaffirmed his desire to see out his contract at Barcelona which runs until 2026, and “does not want a move in any form.”
    Barca boss Xavi and club president Joan Laporta have both expressed their wish to keep De Jong at the club, and the midfielder’s performance in their last game shows why.
    Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has claimed to “know for a fact” that De Jong does not want a transfer to Man Utd.
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    But their disappointing performance against Brighton, particularly midfielders Fred and Scott McTominay, during Erik ten Hag’s first game will make their need for De Jong even more desperate.
    This being said, they have reportedly agreed a £15million deal to sign Adrien Rabiot from Juventus.
    Chelsea in contrast to United won their opening game against Everton.
    And despite a staggering outlay of over £160m on transfers, the club don’t appear to be finished yet.
    Deals for Leicester’s Wesley Fofana and former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are said to be in the works. More

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    Barcelona ‘prepare court battle with Frenkie de Jong, Pique, Ter Stegen and Lenglet as new deals set them back £263m’

    BARCELONA are reportedly preparing for a court battle with four of their OWN PLAYERS if they do not agree to scrap the contracts they signed nearly two years ago.Frenkie de Jong, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet and Marc-Andre ter Stegen penned new-look contracts in October 2020 which saw them take a wage cut in the short-term to help the club’s financial situation.
    De Jong has had an ongoing salary battle with the club for some timeCredit: Rex
    Pique signed a contract reducing his wages in the short-term to help the clubCredit: Rex
    The deals were the final action of outgoing president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s reign as he departed one week later.
    The plan was to pay the players back in the following seasons – a move that came with a total extra salary cost of £263million in the long term.
    But now Barca’s current regime – headed by president Joan Laporta – is making the case that there is “evidence of criminality” within the deals signed in 2020.
    The club want the four players involved to give the green light to annul those deals and revert back to the contracts they had in place beforehand.
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    If the individuals do not agree to do so, Sport are reporting that Barca are willing to go to court.
    The plan would be to allege the contracts written up by the previous directors are not valid.
    Barca are said to have been preparing for a court battle for three months.
    Pique’s contract extension was until 2024, Ter Stegen’s until 2025, while De Jong and Lenglet furthered their deals until 2026.
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    De Jong is reportedly owed £14.5m in wages by Barcelona – a factor which has contributed to holding up his move to Manchester United.
    He understandably feels he is owed the money as he agreed to wage reductions for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns with the knowledge that they would be supplemented in the following four seasons.
    Laporta claimed last week that both De Jong and Barca are now keen for him to stay at the Nou Camp.
    Pique and Ter Stegen remain part of Xavi’s squad – although there are reports that Pique has been told he is surplus to requirements.
    Lenglet has been sent out on loan to Tottenham for the 2022/23 season.
    Lenglet is currently on loan at Tottenham from BarcelonaCredit: Getty
    Ter Stegen has spent eight years at Barcelona since joining in 2014Credit: Getty More

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    Barcelona ‘get £32m tax hit after inflating value of TV rights and still haven’t registered their summer signings’

    BARCELONA reportedly paid about £126million of their own money to inflate the value of the club’s TV rights.It happened as part of the deal to sell a 25 per cent stake of future TV rights to Sixth Street, according to Spanish radio station COPE.
    Bayern Munich legend Robert Lewandowski was one of three big summer signings by Barcelona this summerCredit: Getty
    And it means the LaLiga giants must now pay about £32m in tax on that payment, according to the report.
    COPE claims the Catalans set up a holding company called Logksley Investments SL to facilitate the deal.
    The injection of extra cash – a perfectly legal manoeuvre – is said to have boosted the sale price from about £436m to £562m.
    Barcelona were hoping the inflated amount would count as new income.
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    However, COPE says LaLiga has only accepted the lower amount as being the value of the sale.
    The radio station says the move was made to satisfy LaLiga’s Financial Fair Play rules.
    Barca were required to stay within the FFP rules with their summer signings of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde.
    The trio of international stars arrived at the Nou Camp for a reported combined amount of around £130m.
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    The report also says Barca will need to sell more of their current stars to be able to make further signings within FFP rules.
    And it says player sales will also be needed to register their three big new signings with LaLiga.
    Barca’s finances have been under scrutiny since it was revealed last year they were close to £1billion in debt.
    Xavi’s side warmed up for the new season by thrashing Mexican giants Pumas 6-0 to win the Joan Gamper Trophy on Sunday night. More

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    Former Arsenal and Tottenham target Isco signs for Sevilla on free transfer after Real Madrid exit

    SEVILLA have confirmed they have reached an agreement to sign Isco on a free transfer.The Spanish playmaker had been linked with a number of Premier League clubs earlier this year, including Arsenal and Tottenham.
    Sevilla have confirmed they have reached an agreement to sign IscoCredit: Reuters
    But he will now join Sevilla for free after leaving Real Madrid earlier this summer.
    Isco will undergo a medical outfit with the LaLiga outfit on Monday, the club confirmed.
    The 30-year-old will then officially put pen to paper on a two-year deal.
    Isco has spent the last nine years at Real Madrid, winning FIVE Champions League trophies in the process.
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    In total he played 353 games for Real, scoring 53 goals and providing 56 assists.
    But he fell out of favour in recent seasons at the Bernabeu, and started just three LaLiga games in the last campaign.
    Earlier this summer he bid an emotional farewell to Real Madrid ahead of his contract with the club expiring.
    He summed up his spell in the Spanish capital by saying he had had a “f***ing fun time”.
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    Isco wrote: “I was in Malaga and I knew I had to go. I got engaged to another team. But Real Madrid knocked on my door and Real Madrid cannot and should not be told no, although there are always exceptions.
    “I remember telling my people ‘f*** Madrid haven’t won the Champions League for many years and I have a feeling that it’s about to fall’ and LA DECIMA arrived, everything that comes after is already history.
    “Nine years later, my time at the club that has made it possible for me to fulfill all the dreams I had when I was little comes to an end.
    “Apart from fulfilling dreams, winning more titles than I had imagined, playing with the greatest, meeting incredible people: I HAVE HAD A F****** TIME AND THEY CAN’T TAKE MY DANCING OUT OF ME.” More

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    Chelsea boss Tuchel ‘wants Aubameyang transfer’ and ‘demands world class players only’ in damning verdict on squad

    THOMAS TUCHEL has told Chelsea owner Todd Boehly to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and demanded he only sign world class players.Chelsea start their season against Everton in Saturday’s late kick-off, and have seen a number of new stars come through the door at Stamford Bridge.
    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is wanted by ChelseaCredit: Getty
    Thomas Tuchel demanded the club sign world class playersCredit: Getty
    But these are still not enough for Tuchel, who has reportedly described his squad as average.
    According to Florian Plettenberg, the German coach wants to add Aubameyang to his squad next, having previously worked with him while at Borussia Dortmund.
    However, Barcelona want to keep the former Arsenal man as a top back up to Lewandowski, with them preferring Memphis Depay to leave instead.
    Aubameyang joined the club on a free transfer in January, scoring 13 times in 23 games.
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    Chelsea signed Marc Cucurella and Carney Chukwuemeka earlier this week deals with £62milliion and £20m from Brighton and Aston Villa respectively.
    Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly also joined earlier in the window to bolster Tuchel’s squad.
    The club are also after Leicester’s Wesley Fofana and have now entered the race to sign Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong.
    Although whether these players are among those who Tuchel refers to as world class remains to be seen.
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    In terms of outgoings, Marcos Alonso appears set to leave for Barcelona after he said goodbye to his team-mates.
    They managed to retain captain Cesar Azpilicueta after he penned a new two-year contract. More

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    Barcelona BANNED from registering new transfers like Lewandowski for LaLiga games until they reduce financial outgoings

    BARCELONA have been BANNED by registering any of their new signings until they cut their spending.The debt-ridden Spaniards have splashed the cash on transfers this summer.
    Barcelona cannot register any of their new signings for LaLiga gamesCredit: Getty
    President Joan Laporta needs to reduce spending in order to register the playersCredit: The Mega Agency
    Barcelona have spent £150million on players this summerCredit: Getty
    Barca have spent a combined £150million on Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha.
    Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie have also been signed on free transfers, while Marcos Alonso is reportedly on the verge of a switch from Chelsea.
    But the club have been banned from registering any of their new arrivals until they reduce their financial outgoings, according to the Mirror.
    Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto cannot be registered either because their contracts expired and were then renewed.
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    President Joan Laporta has tried to free up funds by selling off 25 per cent of Barcelona’s TV rights.
    The club then flogged 25 per cent of Barca Studio, which handles Barcelona’s digital output.
    All in all Barca are claimed to have raised around £650m by selling off assets.
    Yet the crippling debt at the Nou Camp means it’s still not enough to register their new players.
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    Laporta though has vowed to continue trimming on spending so his new players can report for duty.
    He confirmed at Lewandowski’s official presentation on Friday: “We have worked to enrol all of them. We have worked hard and productively, in order to meet the requirements.
    “And if it is necessary to carry out any more operations, we will do it. We are waiting. It is a decision that La Liga must make.
    “We have complied with what it requires. We are confident that we will be able to register them.”
    Sales are now necessary if Laporta wants to register his new signings.
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    Frenkie de Jong remains strongly tipped to leave, with Manchester United and Chelsea both keen on the Dutchman.
    The likes of Memphis Depay, Samuel Umtiti, Miralem Pjanic and Martin Braithwaite are also free to depart. More

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    Chelsea stars ‘say goodbye to Marcos Alonso’ with defender to seal Barcelona transfer as Blues sign Cucurella for £62m

    CHELSEA players have reportedly said their goodbyes to Marcos Alonso ahead of his move to Barcelona.The 31-year-old left-back has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge all summer.
    Chelsea defender Alonso looks set to complete a move to BarcelonaCredit: Getty
    But that speculation increased further following the signing of Brighton star Marc Cucurella.
    Thomas Tuchel now has both Cucurella and Ben Chilwell to choose from at left-back – leaving Alonso out in the cold.
    And according to The Mail, the Spaniard has carried out his farewells to staff at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground as he bids to seal a transfer this weekend.
    Alonso has won the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League during a successful six-year stint with the Blues.
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    But now his days as a Chelsea player are numbered as Barcelona close in on his signature.
    90min have reported that the Catalan giants are “confident” of reaching an agreement for the defender.
    That is despite news on Friday that LaLiga have denied them registering five new players until they raise more funds.
    In order to do so, Barca will need to sell players such as Frenkie de Jong – who has been heavily linked with Manchester United.
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    Meanwhile, Alonso was thought to be heading to Barcelona along with Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta.
    But the Blues skipper completed a U-turn earlier this week when he signed a new two-year deal to remain at Stamford Bridge.
    Azpilicueta’s commitment eases the Blues’ need to recruit further defensive reinforcements.
    Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left for free in the summer following the expiration of their contracts.
    Only Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli has been brought in as a replacement after the club missed out on Jules Kounde. More

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    Cesar Azpilicueta in shock transfer U-turn as he signs new TWO-YEAR Chelsea contract after snubbing Barcelona

    CHELSEA captain Cesar Azpilicueta has performed a shock transfer U-turn by snubbing Barcelona and signing a new two-year deal. The Spaniard was entering the final year on his current deal which was only extended at the end of last season.
    Cesar Azpilicueta has signed a new two-year Chelsea dealCredit: Rex
    And Azpilicueta has spent the transfer window linked with a move back to Spain with Barcelona.
    And although it was previously claimed the defender favoured a move away, according to The Athletic, he has committed his future to Chelsea.
    Azpilicueta’s commitment eases the Blues’ need to recruit further defensive reinforcements.
    Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen already left for free in the summer, following their contract both expiring.
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    Only Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli has been brought in as a replacement after the club missed out on Jules Kounde.
    The Frenchman instead joined Barca, creating tension between Chelsea and Nou Camp chiefs.
    And is was already suggested new Blues boss Todd Boehly was ready to deny Azpilicueta a move to LaLiga.
    Chelsea remain linked with Brighton left-back Marc Cucurella, Inter Milan wingback Denzel Dumfries and Leicester centre-back Wesley Fofana.
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    Azpilicueta has been at the club for a decade now, and has made 472 appearances in all competitions for them.
    His contract at the club was due to expire in this summer, but an extension clause in his deal was triggered when he hit 35 games last season.
    Azpilicueta has always appealed to Tuchel due to his ability to play in a back three or at wingback, suiting the German’s structure.
    Cesar Azpilicueta and Chelsea boss Thomas TuchelCredit: Reuters More