Chelsea offered potential boost in race to sign top target Moussa Dembele

Chelsea may just have been handed an incentive in their pursuit of Moussa Dembele after Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas claimed that the club do not stand in the way of players that want to leave.

Standard Sport understands that Dembele is currently the Blues' preferred striker signing as they look to bolster their frontline and ease the goal-scoring burden on Tammy Abraham.

Lyon were adamant that the former Fulham and Celtic frontman was not for sale last month, while Chelsea failed in their search for a short-term option after looking at the likes of Edinson Cavani of Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli's Dries Mertens.

However, Dembele - who has scored 39 goals in 82 matches since returning to his native France in 2018 - is expected to become available this summer, when Frank Lampard will be handed a transfer war chest in excess of £150million to compensate for a frustrating January window that brought no fresh recruits despite the lifting of a transfer ban.

And addressing interest in Lyon's players this week, chief Aulas insisted that any who want to depart will be permitted to head to their favoured destinations.

"We already have a certain number of offers for our players for summer," he said.

"We sell the players who want to leave to where they want to go."

It remains to be seen if Dembele will push for an exit from Lyon this summer, with Aulas stating in January that the player wants to stay and win trophies with the club.

Any looming transfer chase could also involve Manchester United, with reports this week claiming they will pursue a £60m deal for the 23-year-old at the end of the season.

Chelsea have already made a move in the market this week, agreeing a £37m fee with Ajax to sign Moroccan playmaker Hakim Ziyech.