The Blues remained largely inactive during the winter transfer window, but they could be involved in big deals next summer. Reports say that the club is monitoring Barcelona contract rebel Ousmane Dembele and West Ham United stalwart Declan Rice.
Chelsea are monitoring the situation involving Dembele and his rapidly-expiring Barcelona contract, reports Sky Sports. The Frenchman will be out of contract in six months, and talks, so far, with Barcelona have failed to reach a resolution. As such, if the 24-year-old leaves the Spanish giants in the summer, the UEFA Champions League holders want to be in front of the queue to secure his services.
Talks were held between relevant parties over a deadline day move – says the report. While it failed to materialize then, Chelsea are prepared to reopen a dialogue with the player and his representatives over a pre-contractual agreement, one that would allow Dembele to join the Blues for free in the summer.
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The Rennes-graduate joined Barcelona in summer 2017 in a move worth upwards of 100 million euros. However, frequent injuries have impeded his progress, and the forward hasn’t been able to hit the heights expected of him since his early Borussia Dortmund days.
One player who has progressed remarkably in the same time is West Ham United’s Declan Rice. A former Chelsea academy scholar, Rice has come leaps and bounds and, after the Blues released him aged 14, has made over 150 appearances for the Hammers – and is also a regular in the England squad.
Interest in his services has risen, with Chelsea joined by both the Manchester giants, all of them keen to add him to their ranks. A long-term contract and a mammoth price tag have kept the clubs at bay so far, but, as per the Telegraph, West Ham are fearful of losing the midfielder next summer should they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
The Hammers’ transfer inactivity has provided a further boost to interested parties, given that the failure to strengthen the squad could be equated to a lack of ambition by the player, who, approaching his prime, would want to be playing on the biggest of stages.
