"Great players can play for any team" - Stewart Robson backs 25-year-old midfielder to become Chelsea's very own Thiago Alcantara

Former Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson believes Frenkie de Jong can make a similar impact at Chelsea to that of Thiago Alcantara at Liverpool.

Spanish outlet SPORT has reported that the Barcelona midfielder is not interested in joining Manchester United this summer. He would instead prefer a move to either Stamford Bridge or Bayern Munich if he has to leave Camp Nou.

The Dutch international has made over 100 appearances for the Blaugrana since moving from Ajax in 2019. He has become a key member of Xavi Hernandez's midfield three.

However, de Jong has been linked with a move away from the Camp Nou to help Barcelona's desperate financial situation.

Former Arsenal midfielder Robson believes the 25-year-old could become the Blues' version of Thiago. The Spanish midfielder has been a revelation for the Reds following a slow start since joining from Bayern Munich in 2020.

The pundit told ESPN (as quoted by The Express):

"Go back to Liverpool, Thiago. Nobody thought Thiago was going to be a Liverpool player because he didn't close the ball down quite as quickly. They wanted a slightly different player who could open up defences and spread the play."

He added:

"Thiago took a good year to settle down at Liverpool but eventually last season he had a great season. That could be the same for somebody like De Jong."

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Steve Nicol unsure if Frenkie de Jong would fit in at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel

Jorginho and N'Golo Kante only have a year remaining on their current contracts. Hence, the Blues may soon be on the hunt for a world-class central midfielder in the near future.

Former Liverpool right-back Steve Nicol is unsure if Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong will slot into Tuchel's side. However, he admitted that the west London club do need to improve their squad in order to compete with the Premier League's top two.

The retired Scotland international stated:

"Listen, Frenkie de Jong is a great player. And so, great players can play for any team and if you want to take Jorginho out and get rid of him and put Frenkie de Jong in, then I think that makes Chelsea better, put it that way. In my mind I don't get that De Jong's a Chelsea player."

He added:

"But at the same time, you need to get better. Chelsea, Liverpool, City are always looking every single season, every transfer window, 'how do we get better? Who do we get to make us better?'."