Chelsea turns the tables on Barcelona, Tuchel masterminds transfer hijack

Chelsea FC has managed to go from a club in limbo to potentially one of the biggest spenders in this year's summer transfer window. With the turnover now officially complete, new owner Todd Boehly is reportedly handing manager Thomas Tuchel the reins when it comes to making big transfer decisions. For his first move, it is believed that Tuchel is planning to turn the tables on FC Barcelona.

The Catalan club has been targeting the Chelsea squad in their bid to secure new players on bargain deals. The Premier League side had been unable to offer new contracts to their players for several months owing to the sanctions faced by former owner Roman Abramovich. This provided Barcelona with the prime opportunity to negotiate deals with some Chelsea players who are at the end of their contracts.

The likes of Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta have been in talks with the Catalan giants, but no official announcements have been made. The delay is presumably being caused by the fact that Barcelona are still busy wading through their bank books in an effort to find room for their new signings.

Meanwhile, with Chelsea's ownership troubles out of the way, the club is finally able to move some money around. According to Marca, Boehly has agreed to provide Tuchel approximately 200 million pounds (235m euros) in order to go shopping this summer.

With a fat cheque book in tow, Tuchel is reportedly targeting FC Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele. The Frenchman is also at the end of his contract with the Catalan giants, and the two parties have so far been unable to find a way to agree on an extension deal.

Manager Xavi Hernandez had been keen to retain the player, but the terms in the club's offer have proven to be insufficient. Dembele's manager Moussa Sissoko had been approached by the club numerous times over the past year, but he has not given a favourable response to the latest offer on the table. Club president Joan Laporta has insisted that they have made a good offer, and that they are not willing to improve the terms any further.

Tuchel, who knows Dembele well from their time together in Borussia Dortmund, appears to be in a great position to hijack Barcelona's plans for the player. Chelsea are set to lose Romelu Lukaku this summer, and Dembele is a perfect fit to take over. Apart from Dembele, Tuchel is also believed to be looking at the possibility of signing Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus. Incidentally, the Dutchman has also been on Barcelona's wishlist for some time.