£97 million Frenchman wants Chelsea move after Tuchel claim, Abramovich wants €150m at Chelsea, as Tuchel fires transfer warning to Chelsea strikers
CHELSEA have been handed a huge transfer boost after Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele named Thomas Tuchel as his favourite coach.
The French winger has failed to light up LaLiga as many expected following a £97million move from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, as he has been constantly injured and in and out of that Barcelona side.
That has led to alot of speculation in the media that Barcelona may look to offload the Frenchman in the coming transfer window, especially as there are many reports that they need to pay off a £900 million debt.
And it appears Dembele would be keen to link up once again with his former Dortmund boss Tuchel, who has been tipped to make a transfer move for the speedy winger when the transfer window opens up in just a few months time.
WHAT HAS HE SAID?
Speaking to BeIn Sports, the 23-cap France international said: “Thomas Tuchel is my favourite coach.
“Under him I played more on the right side before I was moved to ten or in the middle.
“If he had stayed, it would have been very difficult to leave Dortmund. I would probably not have done it.”
Dembele has also confirmed he is yet to start discussing a new contract with Barcelona.
His current deal expires next summer.
Dembele said: “My future? I still have a year of contract left. There hasn’t been a discussion with the club yet, I’m happy, and I feel good.
“Then there is the new president who has arrived and whom I do not know too well, but he is very close to the players. We’ll see how it goes.”
In conclusion…
Chelsea are linked with every player under the sun, so it doesnt mean that they are keen on Dembele. But for the right price, Tuchel may feel that he has the managerial qualities to get the very best out of the Frenchman?
Thomas Tuchel opens up and OFFICIALLY fires transfer warning to his Chelsea strikers
Thomas Tuchel has said the next two months are important for his forwards to prove that Chelsea do not need to dive into that transfer market to add another striker to the attack.
Tuchel may be a boss that has one of the very best attacks in the Premier League, and can boast one of the very best squads too, but there has been alot said about the fact that he doesnt have a striker that is able to score 30-goals a season.
Timo Werner has scored just once in his last 20 Premier League games, while Kai Havertz hasn’t scored since September. Although Hakim Ziyech and Mason Mount have chipped in with several strikes in recent weeks, Tuchel has admitted that his forwards are falling short.
What has he now said?
“For the next eight weeks, we just have to think how we can improve the scoring and the scoring situation, and nothing else, and then in the summer we will think further and think together with the club about what solutions are the best solutions for us,” Tuchel told reporters from Cobham Training Centre.
“Is it the best solution to stay with our squad? Is it the best solution to stay in the formation that we have? Can we improve? Can we improve on the training pitch individually and as a group? To create more big chances? These are the questions for June.
“For now, in April when we arrive, everybody knows that when you read the statistics, it’s obvious and the guys lack this last percentage of confidence when they don’t score. It’s like for a goalkeeper when he needs the clean sheets to be in full confidence and to be in full trust of himself.
“But [the strikers] work hard for us and they work hard for us defensively. The strikers are part of this successful run that we have and they are part of these wins and they play their part.
“Obviously, every striker wants to score and we, you, always want the No.9 and the No.11 and the wingers and everybody, the No.10s, to score because it’s their main targets and it’s in their characteristic, but, obviously, it’s a bit hard for them.
“At the same time, it’s like this. You are out there. You are out there on the stage. You play for Chelsea. You play in three competitions, so you have to face adversity. You have to face the expectations that everybody has from you when you play as an offensive guy for Chelsea because, honestly, when you play as a defender for Chelsea everybody expects you to deliver on point and to deliver in every match and to be able to defend in every match, so this is what we expect from our strikers.
“These are high demands but I have the feeling that they accept them and from there on, we will push them. Everybody wants higher numbers, us, you, but it’s difficult for us to produce, obviously, but we will not stop pushing.”
What Chelsea owner thinks of €150million Erling Haaland transfer
The Blues have been strongly linked with a summer move for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland but what does Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich think of the transfer?
According to 90min, Abramovich is ‘infatuated’ with the idea of signing Borussia Dortmund frontman Erling Haaland in the summer transfer window, but will face fierce competition from the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City for the Norway international.
Despite Borussia Dortmund demanding €150million for the striker, Abramovich remains keen on signing the striker this summer.
The Blues are in need of a striker with our top goalscorers in the Premier League this term Jorginho and Tammy Abraham only on six goals.
Haaland has scored 49 goals in 51 appearances for Dortmund since joining from Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020.