Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly arrives in Spain for Barcelona talks
By Tom Gott
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has arrived in Spain for talks with Barcelona over a handful of players, 90min can confirm.
The two clubs have been linked since even before the transfer window opened. Andreas Christensen has already swapped Stamford Bridge for Camp Nou and Barcelona hope to follow that deal up with an agreement to sign defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso, both of whom have just 12 months remaining on their contracts.
90min understands that both players are keen to make the move and had been granted permission under the Blues' previous owners, although Boehly's stance on the pair is not yet clear.
Barcelona remain determined to get a deal done, with club director Jordi Cruyff recently admitting the takeover had slowed their moves down, but Boehly is now in Barcelona for formal talks about possible transfers.
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Azpilicueta and Alonso's futures are understood to be the main subject of discussion, but Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest is also expected to be mentioned as Chelsea have a long-standing interest in the American.
Boehly is also expected to ask about the situation of midfielder Frenkie de Jong as 90min understands that Chelsea have voiced an interest in doing a deal for the Dutchman, who is Manchester United's top target this summer.
Chelsea want a new midfielder this summer after missing out on Aurelien Tchouameni to Real Madrid, and after having a tentative enquiry for West Ham's Declan Rice turned down, the Blues have added De Jong to a list of possible alternatives.