Chelsea boss Tuchel: I'm in contact with Dembele; he's a very good player | OneFootball

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel admits he's been in contact with Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele amid his contract blow-up.

Tuchel revealed when he exchanged text messages with Dembele and admits he is a very good player. Off contract in June, the attacker is being linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle.

Tuchel and Dembele worked together for one year at Borussia Dortmund and the 24-year-old has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, but Tuchel would not be drawn on this ahead of side's Premier League match against Tottenham on Sunday.

But he did say: "He is a very good player and he's in his top level. I'm 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.

"From there, we are not in the closest contact. We met here and there because of his duties for the French national team and, of course, I was in Paris so this was when they were preparing for national duties.

"It's very close to Paris so this is where we met and exchanged some messages. But he is in a situation. I have absolutely no idea why he is in that situation and I have no idea what the situation and detail is. I know how I feel about it when it is about my players so it's better not to talk."