Thomas Tuchel has held talks with Ousmane Dembele as Chelsea close-in on a move to sign the attacker on a free transfer from Barcelona, according to journalist Shay Lugassi (relayed by Sport).
Dembele, 25, has been one of the most exciting attackers in Europe over the past few seasons. He was the leading assist provider in La Liga last season with 13 assists from 21 appearances. This explains why most of Barca’s attacks originated from Dembele in the second half of the season.
The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the month and Barca have refused to meet his agents demands over a new deal. The Catalans have concerns over his injury record and aren’t prepared to splash out a big-money contract while their financial situation remains difficult.
According to Sport, Barcelona are now resigned to the fact Dembele will be leaving when his contract expires and Chelsea now appear to be in pole position to sign the winger on a free transfer.
The news outlet cites journalist Lugassi as saying that Blues boss Thomas Tuchel has held talks with Dembele to convince him to join the club and assure the player of his place in the starting eleven.
Sport says that Dembele is concerned by the number of attackers currently on Chelsea’s books but Tuchel insists the French international will be a key player. The likes of Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech, and Christian Pulisic have fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea and could be on the move this summer.
Our View
Ousmane Dembele is one of the most gifted natural talents, and you could see glimpses of his monstrous potential last term when he was assisting in almost every game. His impact at Barca in the second half of the season grew to an extent that in his absence the team lacked any threat in the opposition box.
He is almost unbeatable in 1v1 situations and is vastly unpredictable in the opposition half. It is his unpredictability that makes him a standout player. He prefers cutting inside but can also deliver from outside the box.
The 25-year-old has played some of his best football under Thomas Tuchel. In fact, it was under Tuchel at Dortmund that he got his dream move of playing for Barcelona. The German tactician has said several times that Dembele was the most talented player he ever coached. The player too has labelled the Chelsea boss as a ‘father-like figure’.
There is no doubt about his sporting ability but it is his injury record that should concern Chelsea. While his fitness record has improved in the last 12 months, the Premier League is more demanding and can take its toll on a player’s body.
Moreover, the French international’s demands cannot be taken lightly. It must be agreed that signing a player like Dembele for free is an attractive market opportunity but Chelsea shouldn’t blow their wage structure to sign him.
