According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are currently in pole position to sign Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace this summer.

Reportedly, the Blues are willing to offer the winger greater terms than Crystal Palace can muster, which alongside the opportunity to remain in London, could be enough to sway the 25-year-old.

Meanwhile, according to Football London, Arsenal are exploring the possibility of bringing Ousmane Dembele in on loan from Barcelona ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.

The report states that the Frenchman would only be available on a loan deal to the Gunners, due to the hefty fee that his permanent acquisition would command. 

Before Chelsea commit to spending big money on bringing Zaha to the club though, they should consider challenging their rivals in red for the services of Dembele.

The Breakdown

Signing Dembele on loan would be better business for the Blues than the costly recruitment of Zaha. The Palace man has already failed to cut it at the highest level once before, whereas Dembele’s record for Borussia Dortmund, where he was a first team regular, speaks for itself. 

However, the youngster had a tough time in his first season at the Camp Nou, with injuries hampering his progress. The recent arrival of Malcom may also have just pushed the World Cup winner even further down the Barcelona pecking order.

However, the fact remains that the explosive winger is one of the most exciting talents in Europe, with the capacity to develop into one of the best players in the world.

Regular game time is vital at this stage of Dembele’s career, which could necessitate a loan move this summer.

Chelsea ought to be ready to pounce and beat Arsenal to the punch should this opportunity arise.

Last season, the burden of creativity was far too often placed squarely upon the shoulders of Eden Hazard and Willian alone. This time around, Chelsea need to be able to rely on other members of their squad to contribute regularly in the final third.

Dembele would certainly be capable of bringing extra quality to the forward line at Stamford Bridge, and if a loan deal is viable then the Blues have nothing to lose and everything to gain by pursuing it.