Ousmane Dembele reportedly wants to know whether he will be a key player at Chelsea before agreeing to move to Stamford Bridge on a free transfer.
The 25-year-old's contract at Camp Nou is due to expire at the end of June, and he is widely expected to leave the Catalan giants in search of pastures new.
Paris Saint-Germain continue to be strongly linked with the France international, but Chelsea are believed to have emerged as the favourites to secure his signature.
According to The Sun, Dembele is keen to make the move to the Blues but wants assurances over playing time at the club before agreeing to join Thomas Tuchel's side.
The report claims that the World Cup winner wants to be a regular starter for Chelsea and not be a part of a squad rotation system at Stamford Bridge.
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Dembele, who played under Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund, made 32 appearances for Barcelona last season despite his injury problems, contributing two goals and 13 assists.
The Frenchman was told to leave Camp Nou in January after refusing to sign a new deal, but he ultimately remained at the club and managed to work his way back into the side under Xavi.
Dembele still has a contract offer on the table from Barcelona, but club president Joan Laporta recently suggested that he was not confident of keeping hold of the forward.
"Dembele has an offer to stay, but we have no news that he's accepted it. We haven't had a reply from him," said Laporta when asked for an update on the former Rennes youngster.
The attacker - also linked with a switch to Manchester United - has made 150 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions, contributing 32 goals and 34 assists in the process.
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Speaking last month, Dembele's agent Moussa Sissoko said that his client's future "remains open", and they would be "very respectful of all the clubs" involved.
"Ousmane Dembele's future remains open and we are not going to enter into endless speculation," Football Espana quoted the agent as saying.
"We are and have always been very respectful of all the clubs and we will continue in the same way as long as the process continues. When the time is right to make a decision, Ousmane will consider what is the best option for the future."
Laporta also admitted in May that Dembele could be tempted away from Barcelona this summer by a superior wage offer, with Chelsea believed to be prepared to pay more than his current side.
"The offer was presented a long time ago and they have taken time to answer us," Laporta told Catalunya Radio. "We cannot force anything because this depends on two parties. I believe that he will stay, but he is tempted by other options that he could believe are superior."
Dembele could be a replacement for Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea, with the latter said to be in advanced talks over a return to Inter Milan on loan for the 2022-23 campaign.
Matt Law
