Ousmane Dembele, a Barcelona winger, has reportedly stated that being a regular starter is a requirement for him to join Chelsea from the Catalan club.
Dembele’s current contract with Barcelona expires in a few days, and he will be released on a free transfer.
Dembele, according to Sport, wants assurances that he will be an undisputed starter at Chelsea before committing his future to the Premier League giants.
During their time at Borussia Dortmund, the France international worked under Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel.
In the summer of 2017, the 25-year-old moved to Barcelona from Dortmund in a then-club-record deal worth €110 million.
Dembele was expected to be Neymar’s long-term successor at Camp Nou, but an injury-plagued season meant he did not fully realize his potential at the LaLiga giants.
Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain have both expressed interest in him in recent days.
