Ousmane Dembele has been on Chelsea's transfer radar.
According to AS (h/t ESPN), the agent of Ousmane Dembele hasn’t responded to Barcelona’s contract offer within the January 15 deadline amidst interest from European Champions, Chelsea.
Ousmane Dembele was one of the most promising young talents in the world when Barcelona signed him from Borussia Dortmund back in 2017 for a whopping transfer fee of £135.5 million. However, the French striker has suffered a series of injuries that have slammed the brakes on his progress at the Nou Camp.
New Barcelona manager, Xavi Hernandez recently welcomed the world cup winner after a long injury break which obliged him to miss a big chunk of the campaign. This however appears to have done little to endear the Frenchman’s affections at renewing his deal with the club.
With Dembele’s contract set to end in the summer, Barcelona have to tie him down to a new deal or risk losing him for free in the summer. However, the Catalan board isn’t really sold on the idea of forking out €240 million to secure Dembele for the next five years.
The Blaugrana gave the player’s entourage a deadline of January 15 to respond to their proposed offer. However, without any reply from the player’s side, it is believed that Barcelona could be forced to ‘give up’ on Demeble’s stay.
Sport (h/t ESPN) suggests that Chelsea contacted Dembele’s agent this month to discuss the situation regarding the former Borussia Dortmund star’s future.
The Blues attack has lacked bite this season. Romelu Lukaku has failed to get the pulse racing and his recent comments have not gone down well either. Timo Werner’s profligacy in front of goal combined with Christian Puliusic and Hakim Ziyech’s struggles leave much to be desired.
Signing Dembele wouldn’t be much of a luxury but rather an essential requirement. The Frenchman has breathtaking pace and good dribbling skills, which could come in handy against top Premier League defenders. Still only 24-years of age, he certainly has a long career ahead.
Looking at his stance regarding a new Barcelona contract, we might get a chance soon to convince him to make the switch. Dembele is certainly not without his risks but securing a player of his ability for free would be something Chelsea should not pass on.
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