Todd Boehly is a hard man to track down these days. Chelsea’s new American owner has been practically living out of his private jet ever since taking over as the club’s custodian last month. Boehly’s lifestyle will remain unchanged for the remainder of the summer as he sorts out the Blues’ transfer dealings. There has been nothing notable done on that front just yet—as the new regime has preferred to tend to other needs at the club first—but that doesn’t mean the fresh face of Chelsea Football Club isn’t actively involved.
The unfortunate truth is that the Blues are actively involved, but that involvement comes with some entanglements. Chelsea and Barcelona have become inseparable during this transfer window. While they have a lengthy history of sharing players (for lack of a better term), the connection between the two during the last few months is getting a bit ridiculous. Boehly spent a few hours on Thursday afternoon meeting with representatives from the Catalan club at a restaurant in Spain. The two sides discussed a number of different players—from individuals currently employed by both clubs to similar transfer targets.
Here are the latest updates stemming from the meeting between Barca and Boehly:
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Thomas Tuchel is said to be interested in two players that reside in the Blaugrana’s ranks right now. One of them is Ousmane Dembele, who has an undeniable bond with the German manager due to their time together at Dortmund. All has been quiet on the Dembele front in recent weeks though, at least as far as Chelsea is concerned. It seems as if the Blues are determined on setting their sights elsewhere after the talented winger expressed his desire to stay at the Nou Camp for the near future. Dembele is in talks with Barcelona to re-sign his deal as things stand, which means his name likely didn’t come up at the restaurant on Thursday.
However, the other Blaugrana boy wonder, Frenkie de Jong, was likely a topic of discussion. There have been a lot of rumors about de Jong this summer, most of them linking him with a move to Manchester United. Former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag is surely interested in a reunion with his former wunderkind. However, it’s taken the Red Devils quite some time to make headway, so the Blues now look determined to swoop in and make a run at the midfielder.
Any move for the Dutchman would be expensive, but if there’s any team in world football that is well-equipped to splash some cash, it’s Chelsea. Many dominos still have to fall if Tuchel wants to reunite the talented pairing of Matthijs de Ligt and de Jong. Boehly’s meeting with the Barcelona hierarchy could be just what the doctor ordered as it could be a catalyst for one of the bigger shifts in the transfer market over the last few years.
While the two sides seem to be on good terms, if there is one source of contention, it’s undoubtedly Raphinha. The Brazilian’s transfer saga is nearing its 10th day now as the Blues look to wrap up personal terms with him and his representatives to put a bow on the deal. If Chelsea has a steep hill to climb in this situation, Barcelona is sliding down said incline, going in the opposite direction. The Spanish giants are yet to agree to a fee with Leeds United over Raphinha’s transfer, despite having personal terms agreed upon for months.
The saga seems to be nearing a conclusion as Leeds begins to convene for preseason festivities. Raphinha is eager to get this mess sorted out soon, and two of the first people that will learn his fate were sitting at a table together on Thursday evening. There isn’t exactly much that can be done about the Raphinha situation between those two sides, a gentleman’s agreement is one helluva way to introduce one negotiator to another though.