Robbie Walls
Chelsea are reportedly set to rival Manchester United in their pursuit of Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, the player nearing the end of his current contract.
The 23-year-old has endured a somewhat indifferent spell in Catalonia since his arrival from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in 2017, yet looks to have finally begun to recapture some kind of form.
The French international has netted three times in the Champions League already this season, while he’s also scored twice in La Liga, despite having missed a spell out with injury.
In truth, injury has been the tale of his spell at the Nou Camp, yet he remains a hugely talented individual who the club are hoping to keep at the club for the foreseeable future.
That were previously rumours last summer that the winger was a potential alternative for Manchester United as their very public pursuit of Jadon Sancho began to falter, with the club keen to sign a new right-winger.
The Red Devils are not the only Premier League side interested in the Frenchman, however, with Metro reporting that Chelsea are set to rival United for the player.
While La Blaugrana are keen to keep him at the the club, the forward is entering the final 18 months of his current contract, with his existing deal set to expire in June 2022.
After splashing out over £135m on Dembele to bring him to the club, it would be a real nightmare scenario to see him leave for free, meaning he could well be allowed to leave this summer if he refuses to renew his contract.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are seemingly in desperate need of a new addition on the right flank, with neither Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial nor Mason Greenwood looking particularly comfortable on that side, although it remains to be seen if new signing Amad Diallo can fill that void.
As for the Blues, Frank Lampard appears to already be fairly well stocked in attack, with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Callum Hudson-Odoi all featuring in wide positions.
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