Chelsea have been told why they must sign Ousmane Dembele but the Blues have a few problems they need to address first
Thomas Tuchel is fast approaching a T-junction as Chelsea’s January transfer window comes to a close and Lionel Messi’s voice is bellowing through Blues boss’ satnav telling him which way to turn.
Marina Granovskaia has not yet been able to bolster Tuchel’s senior ranks this month despite a growing injury crisis at Stamford Bridge.
One of the positions under the microscope is Tuchel’s strike force; the Blues have outperformed their expected goals tally in the Premier League this season more than any other side except for Leicester City and Aston Villa.
The European champions can take pride in their ability to convert chances better than most, however, Chelsea can’t afford to rely upon their ability to be lethal in front of goal in every single game.
So, to patch up this leak before the ship sinks, Tuchel’s side have been linked with two renowned chance-creators whose potential arrivals could determine the Champions League holders’ fate this season.
Both Ousmane Dembele and Marco Asensio are rumoured to be on the Blues’ wish list this month and, given the fact Tuchel already has a plethora of forwards at his disposal, it’s hard to envisage Chelsea pursuing both.
However, it’s understood that Tuchel is happy with his first-team squad and any late additions are, as things stand, unlikely – there may be less than a week left in the window but everyone knows that a few days is a long time in football.
Football.london understand Chelsea are monitoring Dembele’s situation at Barcelona, with the Frenchman due to be out of contract at the end of the season having failed to reach an agreement over a new deal.
The west Londoners are also said to have asked about the availability of Real Madrid forward Asensio, according to Defensa Central.
Asensio, who is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, has 18 months left on his current deal at the Santiago Bernabeu, meaning he could be available at a cut-price fee.
The Spaniard has struggled to cement his place in the Real starting XI under Carlo Ancelotti following a series of minor injuries, a plight shared by a certain Eden Hazard.
So, Granovskaia could be left to choose between either an alternative to Hazard – a player whom the Blues were linked with earlier in the season – or Dembele – a player tipped to become “one of the best” by, well, one of the best.
Chelsea’s transfer team must listen to Messi’s verdict on the matter and look to lure Dembele to west London instead of Asensio.
Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi tipped Dembele for greatness in an interview with Marca (via FourFourTwo) in December 2018.
“On the pitch [Dembele] is a phenomenon and it depends on him [how good he becomes],” Messi said.
“He has all the opportunity in the world to do what he wants. He can be one of the best. On the other hand, he’s a young guy who is adapting to the city [Barcelona] and the club. The less you speak about it, the better. It’s necessary to leave him so he can be calm.”
It remains to be seen whether Tuchel will feel the need to add to his attacking arsenal as he continues to hunt for full-back reinforcements, but if he does look to sign a forward then it should definitely be Dembele.
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