Transfer News: Barcelona salary package for Chelsea target Ousmane Dembele revealed
According to Get French Football News (h/t Football. London), Barcelona are offering Chelsea target Ousmane Dembele a three-year-deal with €6m net annual salary which is lower than the €11m that the Frenchman has been earning over the past five years.
Dembele’s contract saga with Barcelona has dragged on for a ridiculously long time with the talented Frenchman yet to put pen to paper on a new deal with the Spanish giants. Chelsea were said to be waiting patiently but it now looks like they have turned their attention to other targets.
The talented French winger, who is coming off one of his best seasons with the Catalan club, has been holding out for a bigger contract for quite some time now and Barcelona do not seem to be willing to give into the demands of the former Borussia Dortmund man.
Thomas Tuchel and Chelsea have been interested in the 25-year-old winger but it now feels like they have lost the patience waiting around for the Barcelona man. Dembele’s ability as a player has never been in question but he has a less than favourable attitude and injury history.
This season, the Frenchman has been a revelation under Xavi Hernandez, finally showing why Barcelona paid all that money back in 2017 for him. The 25-year-old played 32 times for the Spanish giants this season scoring two goals and providing 13 assists across all competitions.
According to FBRef, Ousmane Dembele ranks first with 0.50 expected assists per 90 minutes in Europe’s top 5 leagues in the 2021-22 season. This stat is an indication as to what the Frenchman is capable of but the problem with handing him a bumper contract is his history with injuries- and the inconsistency in form that it causes.
Chelsea are keen on signing wingers this season as evidenced by their interest in Raheem Sterling and Raphinha. Hence, the Frenchman runs the risk of finding himself without an option of joining the Blues by July 1.
He has a contract offer from Barcelona on the table and it remains to be seen if Dembele chooses to accept that. The Blues are still not out of the race for the Frenchman though and could choose to sign him despite signing the aforementioned duo.
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After all, it is not every season that a player of Dembele’s quality comes around for free and hence it is a deal that could make a lot of sense. The Frenchman’s future seems far from decided but he does not have much time. It remains to be seen what decision Dembele makes.
