Chelsea: Ousmane Dembele eyed as first Todd Boehly signing ahead of Barcelona exit

Chelsea are ‘quietly confident’ of beating Paris Saint-Germain to the signing of Ousmane Dembele this summer, according to reports.

Dembele, 25, is set to leave Barcelona upon the expiry of his contract in July, with the two parties still struggling to reach an agreement over an extension.

The France winger will therefore be available to sign on a free transfer when his deal runs out, and it was PSG who initially appeared in the driving seat to snap him up. 

Parc des Princes chiefs are understood to have identified him as a top target this summer, however uncertainty over sporting director Leonardo’s future has thrown the move into doubt.

And according to 90min.com, Chelsea fancy their chances of sneaking up ahead of PSG and luring Dembele to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are ready to do business again with Todd Boehly’s £4.25billion takeover due to finally go through on Monday, having been operating under a special licence from the Government since previous owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned in March.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel is keen to strengthen in a number of areas over the summer, yet doubts over Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic’s futures mean attacking reinforcements are top of the agenda.

Dembele is set to leave Barcelona upon the expiry of his contract in just over a month’s time

PSG looked in pole position, but uncertainty over Leonardo’s future has left a move in doubt

Chelsea therefore fancy their chances of making him the first signing of the Todd Boehly era

There is said to be a growing confidence that Dembele, who has registered 32 goals and 34 assists in 150 games for Barca, will join Tuchel’s side when his Barca deal expires.

The player has previously worked under Tuchel, who brought him to Borussia Dortmund back in 2016.

Dembele produced a return of 10 goals and 21 assists in his debut campaign at Signal Iduna Park before securing a £126million switch to Barca the following year.

His fortunes have plummeted since heading to the Nou Camp, with injury problems and disciplinary issues off the field stifling his progress.

Though at the age of 25 there is still plenty of time for Dembele to rediscover top form and enter his peak, which makes him an attractive free signing for Chelsea and other top European clubs. 

Thomas Tuchel has previously worked with Dembele signing him at Borussia Dortmund in 2016

Nevertheless, the Blues could also face competition from Bayern Munich for his signature, as it is believed Dembele and his representatives have held discussions with Allianz chiefs.

Since their own contract talks with Serge Gnabry have hit a stumbling block, Bayern are already making contingency plans in attack for head coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Liverpool, too, are understood to have made contact with Dembele’s team in recent weeks. 

However, it is believed his preference will be to head to London this summer if he does leave Barca as expected, leaving Chelsea in a strong position to make him the first signing of the Boehly era.