Ousmane Dembele has once again been linked with a move to Chelsea this summer, following previous reports suggesting he could make the switch to Stamford Bridge. The 25-year-old’s future is uncertain, with his contract at Barcelona set to expire at the end of this month.
It comes after a period where Dembele has failed to reach the heights set when he was a promising youngster. He moved to the Blaugrana from Borussia Dortmund back in 2017, costing roughly £126million.
Since then, he has been ravaged by 16 separate injuries, missing 102 competitive fixtures for the club. With his contract set to expire, there has been some back and forth between himself and the club about whether he will stay or not.
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When it seemed as though he wouldn't be back in January, the La Liga giants were said to be looking to move him on rather than lose him as a free, leading to Chelsea being linked. Thomas Tuchel denied any contact despite those reports: "I did not have contact with Ousmane. There was no contact in winter."
Since then, links have resurfaced over a transfer once again. Given the German coach's need to spice up his attacking options, it has once again become a possibility that Dembele moves to Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel had managed him previously during his short spell at Borussia Dortmund, where he has been full of praise for his ability. He said, via GOAL: "Of course, we love his dribbling, we love his bravery, we love his pace, his control on the ball. We know a lot of the facets of his game from the training.
"Ousmane is a player who brilliantly combines dribbling, passing and making space to a very high level. That's extraordinary.
It's the sort of ability that the Blues could use in their attacking department, having struggled to find the net in games when it mattered most. Whether he makes a move remains to be seen, however, he could be the spark that Tuchel requires.
