Chelsea going ‘all out’ for Dembele – why it’s a gamble well worth taking
Robin Bairner
- 26 Feb 2022 12:18 GMT
- 3 min read
Chelsea are ready to make changes to their squad over the course of the summer, with the latest player they have been linked to Ousmane Dembele of Barcelona.
Dembele is set to leave the Camp Nou side in the summer as a free agent, having repeatedly turned down the club’s offer of a new contract. Furthermore, he won a battle of wills with Barca, who were threatening to expel him from the squad if he did not pen a new contract.
Nevertheless, with Adama Traore and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having settled in quite nicely, and Ferran Torres also on Barca’s books, there are no shortage of options offensively for the Catalans, who will likely allow him to depart quietly in the summer.
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While Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have been linked with Dembele, The Sun reports that Chelsea are going “all out” for Dembele.
FootballTransfers understands that the Blues have made Leeds star Raphinha their top summer target, but it is possible that they could move for both given that Dembele has the versatility to play on the left wing.
The Frenchman may be best known for his injury proneness, but he would be a player well worth having.
Why signing Dembele would be a smart move
Given the depth of Chelsea’s squad, they would be in a better position to manage his injuries and to ensure that they can get the best from him on a regular basis. With Raphinha plugging a gap on the right, Dembele could slot in comfortably on the left, where the Blues do not have an established star.
When fit, Dembele is a potentially devastating offensive player. With Barcelona in La Liga, he has recorded three assists this season in just five starts.
The issue of cost is not such a great one for Chelsea either. Signing him on a free transfer is a low-risk option. Even if he were to flop at Stamford Bridge, he would likely be sold for €20 million plus. Indeed, he is valued at €26m by FootballTransfers’ algorithm, which is an accurate guideline of how much the club could recoup. That would be a significant portion of their outlay to sign him.
Dembele, then, would be a far smarter signing for Chelsea than it might appear at first glance.
