French giants PSG have reportedly called off their pursuit of Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele, who has a four-year contract offer from Chelsea.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Ousmane Dembele’s future lies between two clubs following Paris Saint-Germain’s decision to pull out of the race to sign him in the summer transfer window. The French forward will either remain at FC Barcelona or join Chelsea, who have offered him a four-year contract.
Ousmane Dembele is at the peak of his powers after a brilliant second half of the 2021/22 season. Xavi Hernandez has had a transformational effect on the 25-year-old, who ended the campaign with more assists than anyone else in La Liga this term (13) despite playing only 21 games.
The Frenchman’s fitness woes also seem to be a thing of the past, with Xavi’s training methods suiting him perfectly. Yet, Dembele’s Barcelona future is as uncertain as it has ever been, with the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner in the final year of his contract. Such a situation has captured the attention of several European bigwigs, including Chelsea and PSG.
The interest from Chelsea stems from the inconsistencies of Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Timo Werner. The three forwards’ futures at Stamford Bridge is up in the air, with Ziyech likeliest t leave Chelsea in the summer transfer window. Dembele has thus emerged as a viable target for the Blues.
Recent reports had even suggested that the west Londoners are the favourites to secure the services of the Barcelona forward in a Bosman move in the summer transfer window. But PSG’s eagerness to sign Dembele had left Chelsea in a precarious position in the race to sign the 25-year-old.
The Ligue 1 champions once even seemed to be closing in on signing Dembele, who would have been the ideal long-term replacement for Angel Di Maria. But PSG will not pursue a move for the Barcelona forward, with SPORT claiming they have ended their interest in him. Meanwhile, the French international has received a four-year contract offer from Chelsea.
Also Read: Three potential Ousmane Dembele replacements for Barcelona
So Dembele’s future seems to be between two clubs. With Barcelona reportedly losing hope of retaining the services of the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, it seems likely that Chelsea will prise him away from Camp Nou if he accepts their four-year contract offer.