Ousmane Dembele is ready to join Chelsea provided he is given assurances over his game time under Thomas Tuchel, according to reports.
The Frenchman is a free to leave Barcelona following a lengthy contract stand off. The Blues and PSG were the two clubs most heavily linked with the winger, who is now ready to move to the Premier League provided he knows he will be a regular.
Dembele grew increasingly frustrated at the Nou Camp, completing 90 minutes just nine times last term, although he still topped the assists chart in LaLiga. The winger is not content to be a bit part player at his next club and wants to know what role to expect before he commits to a Stamford Bridge switch, reports The Sun.
Tuchel has worked with Dembele previously at Borussia Dortmund, with his performances in Germany earning him a mega-money move to the Spanish giants. Whilst coaching the Frenchman, Tuchel claimed he was a "crazy talent", although his development has been hampered by injuries since.
Nevertheless his quality remains and Chelsea see Dembele as a replacement for Romelu Lukaku, who is keen for a return to Inter Milan. The Frenchman is not a natural No.9 but Tuchel has often played without a recognised striker.
Dembele's best goalscoring season saw him notch 14 times back in 2018/19. Chelsea's investment in Lukaku has not worked out as planned and they could be ready to cut their losses on their £97.5m investment. The Belgian only scored eight times in the league last term.
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Despite starting with a bang Lukaku became increasingly inconsistent and copped public criticism from Tuchel, who was happy to leave him out of the starting XI. The striker is willing to take a pay cut on his salary to ensure he gets his move back to the San Siro.
Inter chief Alessandro Antonello said recently: "There is a great desire of the player to return. The economic and financial feasibility must be checked and some technical problems must be solved. We will try to do it in the necessary time."
Chelsea's hierarchy do seem to be at odds regarding their stance on Lukaku with Tuchel willing to let him leave. However club chief Petr Cech backed the player to show his quality at Stamford Bridge next term. He told Sky Sports : "I personally believe he will have a great season. Last season we seen how strong he can be at the beginning when he came.
"I think we could see towards the end of the season, when he was fit and ready to go again, how strong he is. I have full confidence he will bounce back and have a strong season."
