Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Daniel Childs

Chelsea in Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha transfer win-win situation amid Barcelona dilemma

The conclusion to the elongated transfer saga of two wingers involving Barcelona is set to be finalised soon and Chelsea could benefit hugely from it.

As reported by The Mirror, Ousmane Dembele is on the brink of signing a new deal with the La Liga club after his last one expired at the end of June. Head coach Xavi is determined to secure the 25-year-old for next season but faces an internal battle with sporting director Mateu Alemany, who prefers Raphinha, with Barcelona keen to sign the Brazillian ahead of Chelsea this summer.

Alemany was vocal against Dembele back in January when it appeared the forward was certain to leave at the end of his contract, whilst Xavi has been trying everything to ensure Dembele does not end up leaving, which is now a real possibility.

READ MORE: Confirmed Chelsea squad for USA pre-season tour as Loftus-Cheek and Kante absence explained

Given the club's challenging financial state it appears unlikely that they can sign both, which with Chelsea's interest in Raphinha - having agreed a £55m fee with Leeds - and previous links to Dembele with the obvious connection to Thomas Tuchel from their time together at Borussia Dortmund, could mean Chelsea are left with at least one of the two players come the end of the summer transfer window.

Chelsea are close to completing the signing of Raheem Sterling from Manchester City but the expectation that Todd Boehly will try to sign a second wide player is reflected in the persistent confidence in a deal for Raphinha, despite the player's preference for Barcelona.

READ NEXT:

Chelsea handed huge Cristiano Ronaldo transfer boost as Thomas Tuchel nears double Man City raid

Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest updates and rumours from Stamford Bridge

Full Chelsea Premier League fixture list for 2022/22

N'Golo Kante absence from Chelsea pre-season squad explained as star midfielder also misses out

Frenkie de Jong to Chelsea latest: Transfer fee agreed, Man United bid, player preference

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.