Chelsea will reportedly wage a battle with Tottenham for Ousmane Dembele, who has a release clause worth €50 million in his Barcelona deal.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Ousmane Dembele is a popular figure in the market. Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are among the clubs keen on signing the Barcelona attacker, who has a release clause worth €50 million in his contract.
Ousmane Dembele has been an enigmatic figure since joining Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund over half a decade ago. The 25-year-old arrived at Camp Nou as the long-term replacement for Neymar. But fitness woes have plagued the young attacker in the last five and a half years.
In addition, attitude issues have also been the Frenchman’s undoing. However, Dembele has been improving constantly since Xavi Hernandez took charge of Barcelona. The player is enjoying a solid 2022/23 season, amassing five goals and seven assists in 20 appearances. But Dembele has 18 months left on his Barcelona contract, which has alerted Chelsea and Tottenham.
Chelsea attempted to sign Dembele from Barcelona in the last two transfer windows. But the French international ultimately committed his future to the Blaugrana, signing a contract with a release clause worth €50 million. And the continued interest from Chelsea is hardly surprising.
With players like Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech failing to make their mark at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will need multiple attacking reinforcements. And Dembele has emerged as a viable target for the west London club. But the Blues face stiff competition from local rival Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham bolstered the offensive unit by signing Richarlison in the summer transfer window. In addition, they will likely sign Dejan Kulusevski permanently. So it is unclear how Dembele will fit in the heavily-loaded Tottenham attack. Nonetheless, Spurs look set to launch the offensive for the Barcelona attacker.
The release clause worth a miserly €50 million takes matters out of Barcelona’s hands. And while Chelsea and Tottenham will unlikely have qualms about paying €50 million for Dembele, the Frenchman wants to remain at Camp Nou. It will be interesting to see if either London club can turn the player’s head in the coming weeks.
