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Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele is close to joining Chelsea on a free transfer this summer, according to reports.
The French international has failed to live up to expectations since his mega-money move to the Camp Nou in 2017 from Borussia Dortmund. Injuries and behavioral issues have severely hindered his progress in Spain.
Dembele has scored 32 times in 150 appearances for the Blaugrana, but looks set to leave the Catalonia giants this summer when his contract expires.
The World Cup winner was originally left out in the cold earlier this season, but new manager Xavi Hernandez brought him back into the fold. Dembele went on to score once and provide 13 assists in his 21 La Liga appearances across the season.
According to a report from TMW (as per 10 Sport), despite interest from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, Dembele has decided that he would like to join Chelsea. He is in favor of reuniting with former boss Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel managed the winger during his time at Dortmund, where Dembele announced himself on the world stage. The electric forward will choose the Blues over a return to France, despite PSG offering him a very good contract.
Saul Niguez explains why he struggled at Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel
While Dembele looks set to head to Stamford Bridge from La Liga, one player who will head back in the other direction is Saul Niguez. The Spaniard had an unsuccessful loan spell from Atletico Madrid.
Niguez was once tipped to be one of the leading midfielders of his generation, but endured a torrid time in the Premier League. The 27-year-old posted a message to Blues supporters on Instagram, in which he stated:
"Hello blues, I’m writing to take my leave of you. I would like to tell you how I felt during this adventure. Things didn’t start well at all. After a long time at home, changing everything wasn’t easy. Little by little things got better."
"Everything in life serves to improve and learn, and that’s what I take from this adventure."
He continued:
"I’d like to thank the club for trying to take care of every detail to make me feel at home. I’d also like to give recognition to each worker, thank you. Thank you for making this club much bigger."
"Thanks to all the fans for supporting me through thick and thin. I will be forever grateful. Thanks to all the staff for making it possible for me to win titles with the blue shirt."
Niguez concluded:
"But above all, I wanted to thank my treammates. They have been fundamental so that I wouldn’t fall apart. They helped me to continue supporting the team and live a calm and positive day to day. Thank you! @chelseafc"
