Everything seems to be ‘falling into place’ for Chelsea to sign Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The 25-year-old became one of the world’s most expensive players when he joined the Blaugrana from Borussia Dortmund for £135.5 million in 2017 but could now leave the club as a free agent.
What is the latest news involving Dembele?
Dembele’s current contract is due to expire at the end of June and has so far been unable to agree terms on a new deal, with cash-strapped Barca looking to lower their wage bill.
Last month, 90min claimed that Chelsea are ‘quietly confident’ of capitalising on the uncertainty surrounding the France international’s future by bringing him to Stamford Bridge.
Paris Saint-Germain were close to signing Dembele in the January window before he ended up staying put, and the Ligue 1 champions were expected to revive their interest.
However, Luis Campos has replaced Leonardo as PSG’s sporting director and the renowned chief is not believed to be a fan of the winger, leaving Chelsea with a free run at him.
And talkSPORT have since provided an update on Dembele’s situation, revealing that the Blues are now ‘favourites to complete a deal’ and that the capital club are ‘closing in’ on their first acquisition under new owner Todd Boehly.
What has Jones said about Dembele?
Jones has now provided an update of his own on Chelsea’s pursuit of Dembele, disclosing how the immensely talented star ‘likes the idea’ of moving to west London.
Ousmane Dembele WILL WIN BALLON D'OR at Chelsea! Hear more on The Football Terrace...
He told GiveMeSport: “Through everything I've heard around the deal, he likes the idea of going to Chelsea too. So, the bits all seem to be falling into place.
“Chelsea obviously are looking to make an impact back in the market this summer. There were concerns obviously over his injury record, he's missed 60 games or something in the last two years, but in the past few months, he has started to put that behind him.”
Would Dembele be a good signing?
Dembele’s talent has never been in doubt, 54 goals and 61 assists in 229 senior career games is testament to that. Nevertheless, keeping him off the treatment table has always been the biggest issue with the two-footed attacker.
Throughout his five-year stay at Camp Nou, the Frenchman has missed 102 games through injury, with recurring hamstring and muscle complaints significantly limiting his impact on the pitch.
Despite that, Dembele still ranked in the 99th percentile for progressive carries, expected assists, and dribbles completed, while ranking in the 94th for shot-creating actions and the 90th for touches in the attacking penalty area amongst his positional peers over the last year, as per FBref.
His return of one goal and 13 assists from 21 La Liga outings last term further highlights Dembele’s world-class ability, and Chelsea may feel he’s a risk worth taking.