Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele, according to reports.
The 25-year-old looks increasingly like becoming a Chelsea player this summer as the Blues look to secure a deal.
Thomas Tuchel previously coached Dembele during their time together at Borussia Dortmund, with the Frenchman having his most impressive season to date under the current Chelsea boss.
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The German is said to be ‘crucial’ to any potential deal as Dembele’s contract in Spain comes to its conclusion at the end of June.
They were linked with the 25-year-old in January, but Tuchel squashed all speculation, with it appearing that a summer move is more likely: "I did not have contact with Ousmane. There was no contact in winter."
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The German head coach added more fuel to the fire when he heaped praise on the winger.
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“He is a very good player when he is in his top level. I am very fortunate to have trained him in my time at Dortmund. It was only one year, it should have been longer,” he added.
Now, it appears that the Blues have been handed a boost as reports in Spain state Dembele has rejected the latest offer from Barcelona.
This means that his ‘stage in Barcelona is coming to a close’, with the Catalan club unwilling to offer him any more deals.
Dembele would join Tuchel’s squad, who are already stacked with promising forwards.
Therefore, the move could spell the departure of either of Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech or Timo Werner, with the club willing to listen to offers for all three attackers.
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Manchester City duo Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus have also been linked with switches to Stamford Bridge as Dembele could start the rebuild for Tuchel at Chelsea.
The German has been promised control of transfers by Todd Boehly, with Dembele’s arrival beginning a new era at Chelsea as they look to compete at the top of the Premier League next season.
Chelsea’s Performance and Technical Advisor, Petr Cech, is expecting a busy summer ahead as he admitted: “It will be (a busy summer for Chelsea following new owners' arrival). Of course we plan, prepare, and be as strong as we can next season.”
It remains to be seen as to whether Dembele will arrive this summer, with Tuchel clearly a huge fan of his former player, and who else will join the Chelsea rebuild under their head coach.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Ousmane Dembele, Barcelona, Thomas Tuchel