Chelsea are apparently facing more fights than expected to sign Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele on a free transfer this summer as the player’s agent has met with club directors to discuss a new contract at Camp Nou.

Dembele was heavily linked with an exit during the January transfer window, but although a move did not materialize before the deadline, the window closed with the feeling that the 24-year-old would be on his way a when his contract expired. Dembele has struggled for form in Catalonia since leaving Borussia Dortmund and has often been given the stick by the fans.

Thomas Tuchel would be eager to reunite with the player he managed at Signal Iduna Park, although Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal have also been linked to a move. Barcelona’s message, however, has long been that nothing has been decided yet.

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“The situation regarding Dembele’s renewal is not easy,” Cruyff told Sport earlier this season. “I think the most important thing is that he continues to help the team and the rest will show.

“He played a good game, like many players who finish their contract with the future already done and others who are looking for a better contract. May he continue to help the team achieve the maximum goals and the rest we can’t control.”

Tuchel’s relationship with Dembele is incredibly strong. The player previously named the German as his favorite coach of his career so far, while Tuchel has also raved about Dembele since leaving for Barcelona.

“If he’s focused enough, he can reach any level,” Tuchel told Bleacher Report in 2020. “When I spoke to him for the very first time, he told me he wanted to play for Barcelona. That’s where he is now.

“It means he can reach any level, but he has to stay focused and improve every day. Ousmane is an incredible player, he is really talented. I could observe his incredible skills in every training session. coaching.

“He’s also a great human being. He’s a little crazy. He’s a really nice boy but a little crazy. He loves to laugh but can also have really serious conversations. It’s never boring with him.”

But it now looks like Chelsea’s hopes of landing Dembele on a free transfer this summer could come down to how a recent meeting with Barcelona is going. As reported by Helena Condis, via Fabrizio Romano, club manager Mateu Alemany with the player’s agent Mousa Sissoko as they seek to extend his contract.

Given the current uncertainty at Stamford Bridge, it remains to be seen what the World Cup winner will decide to do in the future.