Chelsea are showing an interest in signing Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele this summer, according to Football Transfers.
The online news portal claims that Mauricio Pochettino admires the 26-year-old and is considering making a move as he looks to strengthen his attack. Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku have already arrived this summer but Chelsea need more reinforcements in the final third.
Barca and Dembele are both locked in negotiations over a contract extension. He has just one-year left on his remaining contract and has shown no willingness to leave Camp Nou for the Premier League.
Dembele moved to Barca from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2017 but has been hampered by injuries and loss of form. The France international has featured in 185 games, scored 40 times, and recorded 43 assists across all competitions.
Last season, he racked up 35 appearances and made 17 goal contributions for Barca as they won the La Liga title. During his time at Barcelona, he has helped Xavi’s side clinch three La Liga trophies, two Copa del Rey and two Supercopa de España.
At Dortmund, he scored 10 goals and registered 22 assists in 50 appearances as he helped them win the 2016/17 DFB-Pokal. He may not have lit up La Liga as he did during his time in the Bundesliga with Dortmund, but he has impressed every time he wears for Barca shirt.
Quality signing
Dembele was part of the France team that clinched the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played a crucial role for Didier Deschamps’s side as they reached yet another final in Qatar last year, but lost to Lionel Messi’s Argentina in a penalty shootout.
The versatile forward has enormous experience and would be an excellent addition to Chelsea – who lack squad depth following the massive summer clearout.
According to Football Transfers, Dembele is part of Xavi’s plans heading into the new season but Chelsea offer the Frenchman a lucrative contract to lure him to West London. He has a release clause of £43m (€50m) this summer so there would be no need to negotiate with Barca over a fee.
We will have to wait and see how this transfer develops over the coming week with the Blues also focussed on signing midfielders following the exit of Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and N’Golo Kanté.
Read more: Chelsea eye swoop to sign £24m South American star, Poch a ‘big admirer’ of the player
