Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele wants to join Chelsea on loan, reports in Spain suggest.Dembele joined Barcelona for an initial £96million fee from Borussia Dortmund last summer but has been blighted by injury since moving to the Catalan giants. Nou Camp chiefs have decided a loan move could help spark the 20-year-old’s career, according to El Gol Digital. It is claimed a number of clubs fancy swooping for Dembele but Chelsea are his preferred option.
He has reportedly told Barcelona bosses of his interest in a move to Stamford Bridge.The two clubs need to negotiate the details of a loan arrangement. And El Gol Digital claim Barcelona are looking for around £13million (€15m) to take Dembele on loan for the season.
Dembele has been limited to nine appearances this season and Philippe Coutinho’s arrival from Liverpool last month will further restrict his opportunities. But he started last night’s 6-1 thrashing of Girona and impressed head coach Ernesto Valverde with his performance.
“Dembele has a more extreme profile, he brings more depth but he has had problems with injuries and skipped that period of adaptation. That’s why he’s still getting used to the team,” Valverde said. Dembele established himself as one of Europe’s hottest prospects during his single season with Borussia Dortmund after joining the German giants from Rennes in 2016.
He hit 10 goals and chipped in with 21 assists in 49 appearances before moving to Barcelona. Reports in Spain earlier this month suggested Arsenal will attempt to sign Dembele at the end of the season. (Chelsea Season)
