DEADLINE DAY: Chelsea to ‘push hard’ to sign €50million rated Barcelona attacker
According to Sunday’s print edition of Spanish publication Sport via SportWitness reports, that Chelsea are ready to ‘push hard’ to land Ousmane Dembele this summer.
Dembele, who is a key player for the side once again this season after a few of disastrous years following his marquee move, would like to remain with the Catalan outfit.
The door for interested suitors to make their case for the 23-year-old appears to be open though, Dembele’s contract expires in the summer of 2022 and the tricky attacker is in ‘no rush’ to sign an extension, with the star waiting on the appointment of a new club president.
With Barcelona’s presidential elections to take place in March, a proposal can’t be realistically seen to be offered before that point.
Sport’s website reported yesterday that Juventus would be in a position to offer the France international a ‘very attractive economic proposal’ – perhaps something sparked by the favourable Italian tax laws for footballers.
That would leave Dembele just three months away from entering the final year of his contract, so Barcelona have a somewhat short timeframe to ascertain whether they can renew the winger’s terms before they are presented with the last realistic transfer window to recoup a respectable fee for the ace.
Sport’s print report adds that Barcelona remain ‘open’ to all options regarding Dembele, as they are also aware that an ‘important player’ will have to be sold in the summer to keep the club economically stable amid their financial crisis which has been massively heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic.