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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1. Other
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.
2. Marcos Alonso
Marcos Alonso has, unfairly, gotten a lot of hate from Chelsea fans during his time in SW6. The Spaniard has consistently been one of the Blues’ best players over the last half decade, and he deserves some recognition for his contributions. Alonso has won almost everything there is to win since moving to west London from Fiorentina in 2016. Chelsea has had four different managers since the versatile fullback arrived on the scene. It has also played in an unimaginable number of formations during the aforementioned span, all of which Alonso has done a job in.
He does turn 32 this year though, and with one year remaining on his current contract, it seems like the perfect time for the two sides to part ways. Alonso wants to return to his home country, something he’s apparently made abundantly clear to the Blues since the 2021/22 season concluded. Luckily for him, he’s a wanted man.
One of the names atop Barcelona’s summer shopping list is the Chelsea left [wing]back. The Blaugrana are relatively thin on the left side of their defense and Alonso represents the perfect depth addition. Furthermore, he will cost next to nothing given his age, contract length and desire to move back to Spain. A cheap alternative option is exactly what Barcelona is looking for at the moment given the club’s economic red flag. Xavi will be getting an experienced player, the Spanish side won’t have to pay an arm and a leg for a veteran and the Blues will get a 30+ year-old off of their books during the new rebuild. Alonso moving makes sense for all parties.
All of that being said, a move hasn’t been finalized just yet, according to Spanish sources. There is still time for Alonso to be a pawn in a much bigger transfer agreement between the two sides. Barca Universal is reporting that the 31-year-old could be a part of Barcelona and Chelsea’s talks over de Jong. Any deal for the Dutch midfielder would see Alonso go the other way to reduce the transfer fee. Truth be told, these rumors seem to be a bit contrived.
It’s hard to imagine any scenario where de Jong joins the Blues this summer. It’s even more unlikely that Alonso would be used as a bargaining chip in any negotiations considering his transfer value is minuscule given the circumstances. When the dust settles and everything is said and done, Alonso will likely be playing in La Liga next season regardless of what happens elsewhere between the two sides. As I stated earlier, it just makes sense for everyone.
3. Cesar Azpilicueta
Boehly has been in charge of Chelsea for over a month now and we’ve not learned much about the man behind the badge. The American is obviously hard-working and passionate about sports, but he’s been so busy over the last few weeks that he’s not gotten to express his personality much to the club’s supporters. Fans were treated to a bit of an insight into the man running their club on Thursday though when he put on a show for the Spanish media. Boehly greeted reporters with smiles in Catalonia when he arrived to a restaurant. He joked about simply going in for a meal, the type of remark that media members eat right up because of the sarcastic undertone.
Boehly did reveal one bit of information when he departed though. He confirmed to Barcelona reporter Gerard Romero that an agreement had been reached between the two sides over a meal. There will be a lot of speculation about who the unnamed player is until more information becomes available, but if Fabrizio Romano’s clues are anything to go by, it’s Cesar Azpilicueta.
There has been little discussion regarding Azpilicueta’s future over the last few months as he’s remained respectful—as always—to his current club. The Chelsea legend has weighed his options though and after a month of the new ownership being in charge, it’s likely that he’s conveyed his decision to Boehly and Co. already. It goes without saying that the Blues owe it to their captain to fulfill his wishes. The Spaniard has just one year remaining on his current contract after a clause was automatically activated during the sanctions. Similar to Alonso, he’s also crossed the 30-year-old threshold, which means his playing time will naturally dwindle. Dani Alves is leaving Barcelona this summer and, again, like Alonso, Azpilicueta represents a cheap yet fantastic replacement for the old guard.
It’s been a few seasons in the making, now it seems as if it’s time for Chelsea fans to finally say goodbye to their skipper. Azpilicueta has been said to be keen on a move to Camp Nou as it means more playing time and a guaranteed contract. The proposal on the table from Barcelona is a two-year deal with the option for a third. On the other hand, the Blues have traditionally only given one-year extensions to players over 30—David Luiz being the exception. One would think that Boehly would make an exception for one of the club’s best ever players, but there’s no telling in reality. Only time will tell what the future holds for ‘Dave.’
What would you like to see happen with each of these players? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!