Chelsea are said to be 'growing confidence' in their pursuit to sign Ousmane Dembele this summer, who is set to be a free agent from Barcelona, according to reports.
The Frenchman is set to leave the Nou Camp after five seasons at the Catalan side, signing from Borussia Dortmund in 2017.
He was linked with a move to the Blues in the January transfer window, but he ended up staying at Barcelona for the remaining months of the campaign.
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With the 25-year-old set to leave the club in the coming weeks upon the expiration of his contract, clubs will be able to sign him on a free transfer ahead of next season.
One of those sides is Chelsea, and Ben Jacobs is reporting that the reigning World Champions are 'growing confidence' in being able to sign the winger in the transfer window.
It is believed that contact between the two has already been made as Thomas Tuchel's side prepare for another busy campaign in west London.
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Dembele is said to have delayed a decision on his future until the Chelsea takeover had been completed, with a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital now being appointed as the club's new owners.
The Blues are also said to be 'quietly confident' of signing the winger in the summer window, despite him also being linked with moves to Bayern Munich and PSG.
As he approaches his departure from Barcelona, the Catalan side's president Joan Laporta revealed that Dembele is tempted by offers from other top sides around Europe.
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He has said: “Ousmane Dembele? We made our new deal proposal and we’re waiting for his answer, next week.
“He wanted to stay here at Barca but he’s now tempted by other options he considers better."
Dembele has made 150 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona since his arrival in 2017, scoring 32 goals and providing 34 assists for the La Liga giants.
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He amassed 15 goal contributions in 32 games last season, although much of his campaign was affected by a knee injury he suffered earlier on in the term.
The French international has already played under Tuchel when the German boss was in charge at Dortmund until 2017, the same year Dembele left the Bundesliga outfit.
Other reports have revealed that Tuchel 'really wants him' at Chelsea, with the boss set to have around £200m to spend in the transfer market this summer.
Topics: Chelsea, Ousmane Dembele, Barcelona, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours
Robert Calcutt