Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele continues to be linked with a move to Chelsea in this summer’s transfer window...CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Chelsea target Ousmane Dembele continues to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this summer.
The 25-year-old’s contract at Barcelona expires at the end of this month, five years after joining the Spanish giants for a huge £126 million transfer fee.
Football.london understands that the Blues are talking directly with the Frenchman, but there has been no agreement as of yet on his contract length and wages.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is known to be an admirer of the winger, having managed the player during his time at Borussia Dortmund.
Dembele moved from Dortmund to Barcelona in the summer of 2017, following Neymar’s record-breaking move to Paris Saint Germain, but due to various injury issues, he has so far failed to live up to his enormous potential.
So, how could Dembele perform in the Premier League under Tuchel next season? To find out, we simulated next season with Dembele in the Chelsea squad and this is what happened.
We ‘signed’ Ousmane Dembele for Chelsea in the summer 2022 transfer window
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Dembele to join Chelsea in the upcoming summer transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation. We also updated the Chelsea squad and included all the latest confirmed incoming and outgoings.
Here’s how Dembele got on in our simulated campaign under Tuchel. Unsurprisingly, due to lots of niggling injuries at various points throughout the campaign, the Frenchman never really got a sustained run in the team, but when he did play, he made an impact.
Dembele made a total of 21 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea in 2022/23, with only 17 of those being starts. In the Premier League, Dembele made 12 starts, but in the Champions League, had to settle for four substitute appearances.
Ousmane Dembele’s 2022/23 season stats for Chelsea in the simulated season
In those appearances, Dembele scored 10 goals and registered three assists, with the 25-year-old scoring nine times and assisting three times in only 12 league starts, a very decent return.
Such was his impact when he did play, only Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Romelu Lukaku scored more than Dembele, despite his lack of game time, with the winger also scoring more goals than Timo Werner overall.
At the end of every season, Football Manager 2022 puts together an overall best Chelsea XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics.
Full Chelsea best XI in 2022/23 (5-2-2-1): Mendy; Chalobah, Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva; James, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell; Havertz, Mount; Lukaku.
Full Chelsea best XI in 2022/23 (5-2-2-1): Mendy; Chalobah, Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva; James, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell; Havertz, Mount; Lukaku.
In what is a very familiar-looking Chelsea eleven, Dembele’s injuries meant he couldn’t make the best XI, with Lukaku having a brilliant second season at the club.
So, how did Chelsea perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Dembele?
Chelsea’s results from the 2022/23 simulation with Dembele
Tuchel managed to work wonders with the Chelsea squad in this simulation, making them genuine title contenders. In the end, Man City clinched the title, but the Blues finished a close second.
Tuchel’s side had a great defensive record, but their lack of goals was an issue throughout. However, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United regressed, allowing Chelsea to be City’s closest challengers.
But the Blues did end the season with silverware, getting their revenge on Liverpool for last season. Goals from Kovacic, Lukaku and Conor Gallagher saw them beat Jurgen Klopp’s side in the FA Cup final, but they did lose to them in the Carabao Cup final.
But the Blues did end the season with silverware, getting their revenge on Liverpool for last season.
Tuchel’s side also managed to reach the semi-final of the Champions League but lost to a very strong Inter side.
Overall, this simulation predicts that if Ousmane Dembele were to sign for Chelsea this summer, the Frenchman would be able to show his quality in the few appearances he did make, but would struggle to hold down a place in the side in the long-term due to various injury issues.
There’s no doubting that Dembele has the quality to be a success in the Premier League, but his signing would represent a big gamble, with his injury record a massive problem.