Chelsea in pole position to sign Barcelona star in January - Reports
Chelsea are reportedly leading the race to sign Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele this month. The Frenchman was issued an ultimatum by the Catalan giants earlier this month to either sign an extension or leave the club.
According to Cadena SER, although Dembele prefers to stay at Barcelona, he is not opposed to leaving the club this month. The report also states that if the Frenchman does not resolve his situation this month, the club is prepared to not play him for the rest of the season.
According to Fichajes, Chelsea are now poised to swoop for the winger as Thomas Tuchel hopes to reunite with Dembele at the club. The Blues boss managed the Frenchman for one season at Borussia Dortmund before both of them departed the German side. They won the 2016-17 DFB-Pokal during their time at the club together.
Juventus, Manchester United and Newcastle are all reportedly interested in signing the winger, however, Chelsea seem to have taken a huge lead in the race for Dembele.
Chelsea are now preparing an immediate offer for Dembele. The club see the winger as the ideal candidate to strengthen their campaign and would not like to wait till the summer. [Fichajes] #CFC https://t.co/ANhbklx0bI
The Frenchman is currently in the final six months of his contract and Barcelona are not willing to let him leave as a free agent at the end of the season. The Catalan giants have already prepared for his departure by signing Spanish forward Ferran Torres from Manchester City. The Blaugrana are also reportedly closing in on signing Wolves winger Adama Traore, who is a La Masia graduate.
Dembele leaving Barcelona for Chelsea would benefit all the parties involved
Ousmane Dembele has struggled with injuries throughout his stint at Barcelona. The Frenchman has only made 130 appearances for the club across all competitions since joining in 2017. He has scored 31 goals and provided 23 assists during that time.
The winger has been in and out of the team this season due to injuries and loss of form. Dembele has only made 11 appearances across all competitions so far this season. The Catalan club would be wise to cut their losses and allow the Frenchman to join Chelsea if he decides not to extend his contract.
Selling Dembele would massively help the club's financial situation, while also helping revive the Frenchman's career. Blaugrana are currently massively in debt and will have to sell players in order to register any new signings this season. The winger also seems to need a change of scenery and the Blues could provide him with exactly that.
Barcelona have again told Ousmane Dembele to find another club before the transfer deadline despite the player's wish to stay.