It would come as no surprise that Chelsea are planning to make moves in the January transfer window, and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target who the club will be watching closely at the World Cup.
What's the latest?
According to London World, Chelsea will be scouting Netherlands international Frenkie de Jong during the tournament in Qatar.
As per the report, Graham Potter is a huge admirer of the player and is seen as a potential answer to the club's midfield concerns, with the new manager keen to find a player who can fit the profile for his possession-based philosophy.
Imagine him & Mount
There is no doubt that De Jong is a hot prospect with many clubs including Manchester United keen on acquiring his services in midfield, and if Potter could secure a deal for the talented player it would be a great signing for Chelsea.
N'Golo Kante and Jorginho will both be out of contract in the summer so a rebuild in the centre of the pitch at Stamford Bridge is essential if the Blues are going to compete at the highest level on both the domestic and European stage once again.
Chelsea are currently eighth in the Premier League table after a poor run of form that has left the side with three consecutive defeats on the bounce ahead of the World Cup break, so there is no doubt that the powers at the club will be looking closely at the prestigious international competition to scout their January transfer targets.
De Jong hasn't had the best start at Barcelona this season starting nine of the 14 La Liga outings so far, but there is no doubt his quality is unrivalled in the centre of the pitch.
The £63m-valued midfielder ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for pass completion and shot-creating actions, while further ranking in the top 15% for dribbles completed, touches and progressive passes received.
Not only that, Jamie Redknapp's claim that De Jong is "like Modric" has been further proven as the Real Madrid star is the second most comparable player to his Barcelona counterpart, according to FBref.
The pair share many similar qualities this season including their pass completion rate (89.7% v 88.1%), shot-creating actions (43 v 41) and aerial duels won (60% v 63.6%).
With those numbers and stylistic comparison in mind, he could be the perfect partner for a certain Mason Mount in central areas.
The England international is currently embroiled in a contract saga but they could be quite the duo if he remains in London. Indeed, combining De Jong's metronomic talents with the attacking nature of Mount would be incredibly exciting, as the latter has proven himself to be a fine player in the final third.
Only last season he scored a whopping 13 goals and registered 16 assists, while this term he has already contributed with six assists. It is a fine record and only one De Jong would be too glad to help improve.
With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Chelsea make their move for the Dutchman in January to get ahead in their rebuild before the summer. Indeed, his presence in the team could make a huge positive impact in the second half of the season to secure Champions League football.