Chelsea 'pushed most for Ousmane Dembele deal'

Chelsea reportedly 'pressed the most' to sign Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele during the January transfer window despite recent comments from Blues boss Thomas Tuchel.

The France international was told to leave Barcelona during the winter market, having refused to sign a new deal, but the deadline passed with the forward still at Camp Nou.

A number of clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, were linked with his services in January.

Chelsea boss Tuchel insisted that there was no contact with the World Cup winner at the start of 2022, but according to Mundo Deportivo, the London club 'pressed the most' to secure his services.

The report claims that the European Cup holders are still interested in Dembele, but PSG are currently at the head of the queue for his services on a free transfer.

Dembele has been recalled to the Barcelona squad for Sunday's La Liga clash with Atletico Madrid, having been left out of their last two matchday squads amid the uncertainty surrounding his future.

The 24-year-old has scored once and provided two assists in 11 appearances for the Catalan giants during the 2021-22 campaign.