There have been reports that have placed some concern on where Chelsea lie with their pursuit for Ousmane Dembele. Whilst Chelsea fans await their first deal of the summer to be confirmed, the Blues are reportedly deciding whether or not Raheem Sterling should be a priority.
CBS reporter, Ben Jacobs claims that Chelsea are likely to prioritise their pursuit of Sterling over Dembele this summer. He also reports that Dembele’s only formal offer so far comes from Barcelona with his extension. There's always a sense of doubt in any transfer but Thomas Tuchel's clear interest in Dembele would suggest the opposite.
Sports journalist and transfer guru Fabrizio Roman suggested that Chelsea are not close to signing Sterling and are far off the mark of what Manchester City are asking for. The question is, should Tuchel be prioritising one player over the other, and if so, who is the better fit for Chelsea?
READ MORE: Where Chelsea stand on Raheem Sterling transfer amid key Ousmane Dembele and Richarlison updates
Speaking to wettfreunde about Raheem Sterling links to Chelsea, Fabrizio Romano said,
"Chelsea had some contact with intermediaries to explore this deal, and the answer was that their initial opening potential proposal of £25m + add-ons was definitely not enough to convince Manchester City. City wants to make a package of €100-€110m (£86m-£94m), with both Gabriel Jesus and Sterling, so they want way more for Raheem Sterling."
On paper, Sterling would look to be the easiest choice for Chelsea to make. He is a four-time Premier League champion that has a keen eye for goal. His goal-scoring record is enviable with 131 goals for Manchester City. Coming from a player who plays predominantly as a winger, it's pretty impressive to hold such statistics. In comparison, Ousmane Dembele has not managed to hit the 35-goal mark with Barcelona in his 5 years with the Catalans.
Despite the worrying difference between the two forwards, they are both assessed on their actual style of play. Thomas Tuchel and Dembele shared a successful season together at Dortmund. The German managed to get the most out of the 24-year-old at the time and considering his sudden interest in a reunion, he'd like to think that he could replicate that form. Dembele is regarded as an extraordinary talent. A two-footed phenomenon with a creative eye - someone that the Blues could benefit from. However, it is no surprise that the Blues could be set on prioritising Raheem Sterling having already made an initial proposal.
As mentioned by Romano, Chelsea's initial potential proposal was of £25 million + add-ons. Although the proposal seems to be far off Sterling's actual valuation, it is a sign of intent from Todd Boehly. Dembele will be a free agent by the end of June and it seems as though Barcelona are the only team to have made the first move. Unlike Sterling, Dembele has severe reliability issues due to his prolific injury record. Can Chelsea afford to take the risk? Is Todd Boehly considering his options here and leaning more to Raheem Sterling?
The best case scenario would be to sign both talents to play on either wing in Chelsea's attack. With no price tag on the Frenchman, it is an affordable deal for the Blues to take and have wiggle room to buy Sterling. But assuming that only one player could be prioritised, I'd say, there's nothing better than a free meal.
