Chelsea have been handed a major boost towards finally completing the signing of Ousmane Dembele this summer. The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this season, with Thomas Tuchel eager to reunite with his former colleague.
Dembele, who sees his contract at the Camp Nou expire at the end of the month, has rejected Barcelona's latest mission to retain his services, according to journalist Sique Rodriguez Gairi from Spanish radio network La Cadena SER. The report adds that Blaugrana will make no further effort to keep the France international, handing Chelsea - among other clubs too, of course - a free run.
The winger's decision to do so is another hint that fuels a potential move to Stamford Bridge. It's believed that Dembele decided to delay the decision regarding his future until the Blues' takeover was completed despite interest from Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, the Press Association claim.
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Tuchel is known to be a big admirer of the Frenchman, 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.
football.london understand that Chelsea are interested in Dembele 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.
Though regardless of whether the Chelsea boss signs the spritely winger, Tuchel is keen to undergo a rebuild at Chelsea this summer. With the new ownership group eager to bolster the Blues' armoury, The Telegraph report that after player sales are taken into account, the club could be granted a £200million to spend this summer.
Speaking to football.london, 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."
