"100%": Pundit drops major Chelsea transfer claim on "perfect fit" £287k p/w ace "Tuchel knows"

Retired England midfielder Carlton Palmer has revealed he can '100%' see Chelsea signing Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele during the summer. 

It was a quiet January transfer window for the Blues, who failed to make any additions to Thomas Tuchel's first-team squad, but the club's supporters may already be looking forward to the market re-opening. 

After splashing out on a club-record fee to bring Romelu Lukaku back to the club in August, Chelsea decided not to pursue any of their targets at the halfway stage in the season. 

However, they could already be lining up another major addition ahead of next term, with Dembele set to become available on a free transfer following the conclusion of 2021/22. 

The France international seemed destined to depart Camp Nou in January after the club's director of football Mateu Alemany said 'he must leave immediately' if he is 'not committed to Barca's future project'.

Barcelona's attempts to get Dembele to sign a new deal ended in failure as the terms offered to him by the club's hierarchy were lower than his £287,000-per-week current contract. 

The likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain were all linked to the flying winger alongside Chelsea, but negotiations are not thought to have reached an advanced stage with any potential suitor. 

According to Sky Sports, the west London outfit made an enquiry about the 24-year-old on Deadline Day after hearing that his proposed move to PSG had stalled, although talks ultimately failed to progress.

Palmer believes that Dembele could still make the switch to Stamford Bridge, though, and claims the lure of the Premier League and the player's relationship with Tuchel could be decisive factors.

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