Football rumours: Chelsea waiting on Frenkie de Jong to approve deal

What the papers say

Chelsea are reportedly confident they have beaten Manchester United in attracting Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona but they still need the midfielder’s signature (Mike Egerton/PA)

Chelsea are confident they have beaten Manchester United to Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong but they still need to persuade the Netherlands international to leave Spain, according to the Times. The 25-year-old reportedly wants to stay with the LaLiga club – but if he is forced to move the paper says he is thought to prefer the opportunity to play Champions League football with the Blues.

The Mirror says efforts to bring France international Adrien Rabiot to Old Trafford have stalled over wage demands. The Juventus midfielder, 27, wants a pay bump from £5.93million per year with Juve to £8.46m per year on a three-year contract with United, the paper says while citing Gazzetta dello Sport.