Chelsea's talks with Barcelona's out-of-contract winger Ousmane Dembele have accelerated within the last 24 hours, according to a report.
The 25-year-old looks set to leave Camp Nou upon the expiry of his contract at the end of June as things stand, with no agreement on an extension being agreed with the Catalan side so far.
Xavi's side remain keen on retaining the services of the Frenchman, but their ongoing financial problems are hampering their potential to compete with the likes of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in talks with Dembele and his representatives.
Now talkSport are reporting that Chelsea's talks with Dembele have "taken off", with Thomas Tuchel's side now looking to be in the driving seat to secure Dembele's services ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
Were Chelsea to seal the signing of the winger on a free transfer, it would be the first arrival of the Todd Boehly era, who recently completed his takeover of the club from Roman Abramovich.
Tuchel and Dembele would also be reunited, with the pair having spent a season together at Borussia Dortmund in 2016-17, from where Barcelona purchased the Frenchman for a fee that could rise up to €147m (£135.5m).
During his five injury-hit years with Barcelona, Dembele has gone on to score 32 goals in 150 appearances for the Catalan side across all competitions so far.
Matthew Tranter
