Chelsea linked star Ousmane Dembele named Thomas Tuchel as the best coach he has worked under, speaking to beIN SPORTS.
Sport reported earlier this month that the Blues had been monitoring Dembele’s movements at Barcelona for some time.
The 23-year-old joined Barca from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 for an initial fee of £97m (Guardian).
His contract runs out next June and his Spanish suitors are keen to extend his deal to 2025.
However, the player is yet to commit his long-term future to Barcelona, meaning clubs including Chelsea remain on red alert.
Whilst playing in Germany, Dembele played under a certain manager who is now in charge of the Blues.
Tuchel oversaw part of Dembele’s development at Dortmund before he took over at Paris Saint Germain.
He handed the Barca bound attacker his debut for BVB and ensured they won the German cup together before going their separate ways.
During an interview with beIN SPORTS, Dembele was reminiscing about his Bundesliga days and described Tuchel as his ‘favourite coach’.
If Chelsea were serious about their pursuit of the French international, they could certainly lean on this previous relationship in luring him to Stamford Bridge.
The Chelsea Chronicle View
Do we really need ANOTHER attacking player that’s not a centre-forward?
Yes, he’s young. Yes, he’s talented. Yes, he’s got a massive reputation behind him. Haven’t we heard this all before?
Also, Christian Pulisic is a prime example a player previously tutored by Tuchel who then struggled to make an impact when he became Chelsea’s head coach.
I could easily see Dembele going down the same route if he ever moved to South West London.
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