Chelsea have been heavily linked with Ousmane Dembele over the last several months. Dembele is out of contract at the Camp Nou at the end of June, meaning he is able to leave the club on a free transfer.
And whilst signing Dembele for free could be a good move, there is some risk involved. The 25-year-old is clearly a talented player, as shown by his 13 assists in 21 La Liga appearances during 2021/22.
However, it is well documented that Dembele is one of the most injury-prone players around.
During his time at Barcelona, he has had 14 separate injury/illness issues, causing him to miss a staggering 102 games for La Blaugrana.
Regardless, Chelsea still appear to be in the race for the Frenchman and have been handed a boost on that front recently.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona have set Ousmane Dembele a final deadline when it comes to making a decision on his future.
The World Cup winner will see his contract at Camp Nou expire on June 30, dropping him into free agency, but the Blaugrana want the Frenchman to let them know where they stand 24 hours before that point.
As a result, we could see Dembele make a decision on his future in the coming days. And with Chelsea one of the few sides interested, it did seem fairly likely that the west Londoners could complete a move for him should they wish to do so.
However, another report on Monday has claimed that Barcelona are confident that Dembele will stay put:
Barca sources talking with confidence that Ousmane Dembele will stay. At no point have Chelsea agreed terms so it’s really his only option unless something dramatic changes in the next 24 hours. No truth whatsoever in a late Liverpool bid. No interest at all. No PSG offer either.
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) June 27, 2022
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