Chelsea given clear indication on Ousmane Dembele future as Barcelona chief speaks out

It is no secret that Barcelona are keen for Ousmane Dembele to extend his contract at the Camp Nou. But those at the club appear to have lost faith in the Frenchman, thus greenlighting an approach from Chelsea.

The winger’s current deal expires this summer and he has been linked with numerous clubs over the past 12 months. Barca boss Xavi has been vocal in how he wants Dembele to extend his deal and about how he is a central figure in his plans.

But the former Borussia Dortmund star appears to have other plans, as hinted at by Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany. Speaking last weekend, he said: “Dembele's future will be known by him and his agents, I have my own personal opinion on this matter, but it is beside the point.

“There is no news about him, just like in the last six or seven months. There is no negotiation with Dembele’s representative at the moment.”

Chelsea are the latest club to be linked with Dembele and the Blues held an interest in the France international in the January transfer window, but never made an official approach according to Football.London. Therefore, it is likely that the Stamford Bridge outfit will reignite their interest this summer.

Dembele has made 21 La Liga appearances for Barca so far this season, scoring once and registering 13 assists. And with Romelu Lukaku struggling to find form since returning to Chelsea, the chance to bolster Thomas Tuchel’s options in the final third for free may be too good of an opportunity to pass up on.

Paris Saint-Germain are also reported to be in the race for Dembele, and potentially the chance to play alongside international teammate Kylian Mbappe – who has recently penned a lucrative new deal – may prove persuasive. But Xavi will be hoping that both PSG and Chelsea will miss out on their target.

Speaking ahead of Barca’s loss to Villarreal on Sunday, he said: “It could be [Dembele's last game], as for other players too, but he could also renew. He's a decisive player. I really like him. I'm optimistic: I hope Ousmane will continue here at Barca."