Barcelona star ‘told to leave club’ amid contract row as Chelsea prepare bid

Ousmane Dembele has been told to leave Barcelona after he was given a 48-hour ultimatum to sign a contract extension - and Chelsea are ready to take advantage.
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Chelsea target Ousmane Dembele has been ‘told to leave’ Barcelona after the forward responded to the club’s latest contract offer.

The Frenchman had been haggling with club officials over a higher wage with his current deal at Camp Nou ending in July.

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Reports from Sky Sports Germany reveal that Dembele is seeking €43 (£36 million) per year, which works out at £700,000 per week - something that Barcelona are unable to financially sanction.

The Spanish giants are doing all they can to climb out of over €1 billion debt, so have been trying to find a compromise to keep the 24-year-old at the club.

Club officials gave the forward 48-hours to reply, growing increasingly frustrated at the forward’s silence.

But according to Fabrizio Romano, Dembele has officially told higher-ups that he wants to leave Barcelona, who now want the ex-Borussia Dortmund star out of the door by the end of the January transfer window.

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“It’s clear that Dembele does not want to continue with Barcelona. He doesn’t want to be part of our project,” Barcelona director Alemany announces.

“We told Dembele he has to leave immediately. We expect Ousmane to be sold before Jan 31.”

This would spell the end of the 24-year-old’s near-five-year stay at the Spanish giants, joining from Borussia Dortmund in a huge £135.5 million deal in 2017.

Dembele is set to be made available in a cut-price deal with a number of sources suggesting that as little as £20m could tempt him to come to Stamford Bridge this winter.

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If somehow the forward can not find a club in January, he will be made available on a free transfer in July.

Financing the deal will not be a problem for Chelsea, who are desperate for a player to help provide service for the underperforming duo of Timo Werner and wantaway Romelu Lukaku.

But is it a signing that makes sense?

Dembele had a stop-start career at Barcelona due to several injury problems, the worst being a hamstring issue in February 2020 that sidelined the 24-year-old for 191 days.

Nevertheless, the Frenchman has still managed to bag 26-goals since he joined the club from Borussia Dortmund in a £135.5 million deal in 2017.

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Dembele is a tricky forward that has pace and directness that would prove useful for Thomas Tuchel, but whether they think the deal makes financial sense is another question.

Would you like to see Dembele sign for Chelsea? Is it a signing that makes sense? Let us know on our Chelsea Facebook page.