Chelsea are willing to pay a crazy fee to sign another “world class” Olise

Mauricio Pochettino's agreed departure from Chelsea last month may have divided opinion among fans but the imminent appointment of Enzo Maresca points to an exciting future.

The Blues enjoyed a second-half comeback to climb from midtable and finish sixth in the Premier League, however, Manchester United's FA Cup final victory over Manchester City gave the Stamford Bridge side a place in the Europa Conference League.

Expect a busy summer, because a lot of players need to be sold and many are recommended to move to west London, with Todd Boehly joining the exciting new name.

Chelsea transfer news

According to reports in Spain, Chelsea are willing to pay a crazy fee – more than €100m (£86m) – to sign Ousmane Dembele from Paris Saint-Germain, just one year after the Ligue 1 champions signed him from Barcelona for around £ 43.5 m. .

PSG lost their prized star Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid this summer and Luis Enrique's side are understood to be in the market for new players, with Dembele likely to be sold if the aforementioned figure comes together.

Dembele, a right winger, is seen as a player capable of spearheading Maresca's project, and although he would cost a pretty penny, he would be the perfect player to add to and improve the Stamford Bridge first team.

Why Ousmane Dembele could succeed at Chelsea

Chelsea are looking for a right-sided striker, with Crystal Palace's Michael Olise top of the list and seemingly keen on a move to west London with a transfer to Old Trafford, but it would be wise for Paul Winstanley and Co to identify other possible options.

Dembele could prove to be the cream of the crop, with his six goals and 14 assists from PSG's first 33 underscoring the value he can bring to Maresca's system.

Although it is true that the player who played 43 games did not enjoy his good football in the French capital, he produced amazing moments in Catalonia for Barcelona and started six games in the 2022 World Cup, having played during the victory of Les Bleus around the world. 2018, France.

In Spain, Dembele scored 40 goals and provided 43 assists in 185 games, and although fitness issues hampered him somewhat, he showed his skills on the biggest stage.

Indeed, Dembele offers the talent and inner product to lift Chelsea's first team but he also offers plenty of trophy-winning success to give Maresca's youth team the balance it needs to combine exciting performances with glittering success.

According to FBref, Dembele ranked in the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues last year for assists, top 2% for shots, top 5% for passes attempted and passes completed, the highest of -1% of continuous shipments and 7% of the top 90 successful pickups.

His playmaking ability will give the Blues something they are missing. Cole Palmer's breakout season at Chelsea has seen him bag 25 goals and 15 assists in all competitions but brilliance has been scarce elsewhere, with Conor Gallagher getting the second of nine assists, but the box midfielder is widely praised. from afar.

Dembele may lack a goal threat but his quality as a provider is exactly what Maresca's side need, his pace and physical strength ready to stretch lines and create space that peers – such as Palmer – can benefit from.

In addition, this French player is called “world class talent“Formerly talent scout Jacek Kulig, he has enjoyed a rich and trophy-filled career at home and in his native France.

The £331k-a-week star doesn't quite match Olise in terms of style of play but offers a flair and creativity that would make him a great alternative.

Olise, one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League, endured an injury-plagued 2023/24 campaign but managed to establish himself as one of the standout players, with Kulig even describing him as “one of the best wide players in Europe“Following his breakthrough, he scored ten goals and provided six assists from just 14 starts in the top flight and led Palace back under Oliver Glasner.

With a striker on the agenda at Stamford Bridge and the aforementioned Palmer's goalscoring prowess, Dembele could be the perfect player to boost the frontline, proving he has the ability to play the ball and play to overcome Olise's.

If you look at the table above, it can be noted that both players have outstanding playing qualities and both are lethal in driving the ball forward, Dembele's electric style puts him above Olise.

Contrast this with Madueke, for example, who has had 1.6 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season, and the magnitude of having such a player on the right-hand side shines through. Chelsea need to secure this profile before the start of next season in order to add that last vital element in the wide areas – especially if they are considering a return to continental competition.

Olise is likely to be first choice, but marking the Frenchman as a back-up would not be a bad idea.