Ousmane Dembele could finally be on his way out of Barcelona in the summer transfer window, after being embroiled in several off-field issues during his injury-riddled stint with the Catalan giants. The 22-year-old was not part of Barca’s video conference involving all the players last month, while he has also not joined training yet.
The Frenchman could be available for as little as €60 million (£53 million), as per Marca. Dembele was bought by Barcelona for €105 million in 2017, and still has two years remaining on his current deal at Barcelona.
Which clubs could sign Dembele?
Here we take a look at 3 potential destinations for Ousmane Dembele
Paris Saint-Germain
It’s no secret that Barcelona are keen to resurrect the devastating MSN trio by bringing back former player Neymar to the club from Paris Saint-Germain. With the current financial situation that clubs are in – even massive clubs like Barcelona and PSG – we will see are more and more involved in swap deals.
There is a possibility that Barcelona could tempt PSG to sell the Brazilian to them by offering Ousmane Dembele as well as a transfer fee to sign Neymar. The Frenchman could perhaps get his career back on track in his home country, alongside talented players like Kylian Mbappe in a more direct and speed-oriented system. It would be a deal that would work well for all parties involved.
Inter Milan
Another potential swap deal that Barcelona could be involved in could see Dembele move to Inter Milan, with striker Lautaro Martinez moving in the other direction. Barca are reportedly interested in signing the 22-year-old Argentine, whose release clause is set at €111 million.
Barca may not have that much in their transfer kitty unless they sell a few players, or exchange a player in their squad to bring Martinez to Nou Camp.
Newcastle United
Newcastle United may soon be linked with moves for big-name players once they’re taken over by Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. The Magpies were linked with a move for Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale, for a fee of £53 million – the same as what Barca are apparently demanding for Ousmane Dembele.
Although Dembele has had his issues off the pitch, he is a player with tremendous potential and is a lot younger than Bale. Dembele turns 23 soon, while Bale will turn 31 in a few months – and the latter may have just a couple of more years at the top of his game. Dembele seems the safer option, given his undoubted talent and given his age he will also have a decent resale value down the line making him a more prudent investment.
