Chelsea has been handed a major boost towards completing the signing of Ousmane Dembele this summer, with Barcelona surrendering a huge lead. The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this season, with Thomas Tuchel reportedly eager to reunite with his former colleague.
The Blues are understood to be favorites to
sign Dembele, who sees his contract at the
Camp Nou expire at the end of the month. Barcelona is said to have been keen
to keep France international but the Spanish giants have struggled to agree on a new deal.
Dembele rejected Barcelona's
initial offer, according to journalist Sique Rodriguez Gairi from Spanish radio network La Cadena SER. Reports claim that Xavi's side has since offered the
winger a fresh contract as part of a last-ditch effort to ward off interest
from Chelsea - among other potential suitors too.
However, the Spanish giants could withdraw the said
offer as discussions over a new deal with continue to stall. And, Barcelona is
believed to have grown frustrated over the progress of negotiations.
According to Spanish outlet Mundo
Deportivo, Blaugrana is considering withdrawing their latest
contract proposal to Dembele. With the club’s well-documented financial
problems in mind, the report adds that senior figures at Camp Nou are concerned
about their image amid these discussions.
The Daily Mail claims that the Frenchman is open to
staying at Barcelona, but only if he's offered more than the reported
£150,000-a-week deal that he's already on. It's said that Chelsea could be
willing to offer Dembele £200,000 a week on a four-year deal, with a large
signing-on fee included.
Tuchel is known to be a big
admirer of the forward, with the pair having worked together at Borussia
Dortmund. The duo enjoyed time alongside one another in the Bundesliga - so
much so that the German's management steered Dembele towards a huge
£135.5million move to the Catalan state.
Globaltipsgh understands that
Chelsea is interested in the Frenchman and could
move for him this summer. However, it's believed that the club
will likely need to make space for his arrival with the sale of an attacker -
or two.
Regardless of whether the west London boss signs Dembele, Tuchel is
keen to undergo a rebuild at Chelsea this summer. With the new
ownership group eager to bolster the Blues' armory, The
Telegraph reports that after player sales are taken into
account, the club could be granted a £200million to spend this summer.
Speaking in an interview, the Blues boss said: "We are
rebuilding, not improving the squad. We are rebuilding. This is always
challenging, but we are up for the challenge.
"I don't know where we are from day one. What I can promise is that I will be here – if I can promise that – I will be here with full energy and positive energy no matter what. We will still work for Chelsea, and I refuse to think of negative scenarios.
We will be competitive, on which level we will
see."
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