Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel reveals the truth about Ousmane Dembele rumours

The deadline day of the winter transfer window was, as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put it during his official presentation, quite hectic. It was difficult to separate fact from fiction as news poured in relentlessly.

One such rumour that made the highway surrounded Ousmane Dembele’s exit. Several clubs were said to be interested in his services, with Chelsea rumoured to be leading the race. The Blues’ reportedly also made contact with the Frenchman, but that claim has now been refuted by Thomas Tuchel.

“I did not have contact with Ousmane Dembele — there was no contact,” he said, as relayed by Fabrizio Romano.

Tuchel and Dembele share a special connection from their time together at Borussia Dortmund. The German boss brought out the best in the World Cup winner as they won the DFB Pokal.

There was also a hint of regret in Tuchel’s tone when asked about Dembele recently. He admitted that he was ‘fortunate’ to have trained the young winger.

“He’s a very good player, and I am very fortunate to have trained him in my time at Dortmund. It was only one year, it should have been longer, but I needed to leave, and he decided to leave.”

Dembele is, after all, free to negotiate with any club without restrictions as a soon-to-be free agent. If all turns out well for him, he could still head to London to play for Chelsea. Or is there another twist in the tale?