Ousmane Dembele transfer: Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham reportedly interested

French winger Ousmane Dembele has been asked to leave Barcelona by the end of the January transfer window after failing to renew his contract with the Catalan giants.

With Dembele set to leave the club by January 31, three Premier League clubs could be eyeing a swoop for the Frenchman as per several reports.

If reports are to be believed, Premier League giants Chelsea could be looking to sign Dembele. The Frenchman had made a name for himself under Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, when the latter was in charge of Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

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Dembele arguably enjoyed the best spell of his career under Tuchel, with 32 goal contributions in 55 appearances, before his big money move to Barcelona. The 24-year-old had also previously described Tuchel as his favourite manager, and a reunion could be on the cards if rumours are to be believed.

However, the rumour mill suggests that Chelsea rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also in contention for the 24-year-old’s signature. While Tottenham Director of Football Fabio Paratici reportedly considers Dembele to be a ‘dream’ signing that could significantly strengthen Antonio Conte’s squad, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta also reportedly rates the winger very highly and could be vying for his signature, especially in light of the club’s ongoing spat with star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Despite these rumours, the real question surrounding Dembele’s move pertains to his exorbitant wage demands. Spanish media outlet Foot Mercano had reported earlier that the winger had demanded a gross salary of €40 million a year (£640,000 per week), along with a €40m (£33m) bonus to renew his contract with Barcelona.

If the aforementioned report is to be believed, there are not many clubs that can afford the Frenchman, and the clubs that can may not need him. Chelsea, for instance, might be able to strike a compromise with the French winger and pay a large chunk of his demanded wages, but the Blues are already a top heavy side with the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, and Callum Hudson-Odoi in the squad.

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Arsenal, meanwhile, are looking to offload Aubameyang, not just for his disciplinary breaches, but also because of his exorbitant wages. If reports are to be believed, Arsenal are keen on signing Serbian forward Dušan Vlahović from Fiorentina for €80million (£66.6million), and if the move transpires, it is unlikely that the Gunners will spend big on acquiring Dembele.

The other option is Tottenham, but Spurs are also unlikely to be able to meet Dembele’s wage demands barring major departures from the London side.

Thus, as it stands, Dembele’s future is up in the air, and it remains to be seen whether the Frenchman will take a pay cut to secure a move to a top side.