(Photo by JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United have reportedly put Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele on their radar after suffering a setback in their chase of Jadon Sancho.
The Red Devils have been chasing Sancho all summer, but Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc recently said that the England international will remain with the German side for the 2020-21 season.
As per ESPN, Dembele will be Manchester United’s go-to player should they fail in their bid to sign Sancho, which is looking more likely this summer, taking into account Dortmund’s stance on the player.
Dembele has had a pretty troubled spell with Barcelona since moving from Dortmund in 2017, as he has been blighted by niggling injuries and subsequent loss in rhythm.
The Frenchman’s contract with the Blaugrana runs till July 2022, so they are likely to get a good fee for him.
Both Sancho and Ousmane Dembele are top players, and there is no doubt about that. It’s the consistency of the two that is the biggest question.
Like Sancho, Dembele is also a right-winger, and you can call him an inverted winger or a more natural one considering he is ambidextrous and is equally deadly with both feet.
Dembele had an injury-ravaged 2019-20 Spanish Primera Liga season as he made just five appearances, and scored once in the process. Frequent hamstring injuries have become a bit of a pattern for the 23-year old, and it is something that Manchester United will have to manage with if he does move to Old Trafford.
The winger is a pretty agile player in the attacking half, and puts his dribbling ability and pace to good use. The 2018-19 season was Dembele’s best in a Barcelona jersey, as he managed eight goals and five assists in that campaign.
The numbers might seem a bit low, but considering he has a certain Lionel Messi to compete with for a first-team role, he can perhaps be forgiven.
Dembele managed an average of 2.8 dribbles a game last season, and also showed he can pick his teammates in important areas, averaging 1.6 key passes a game.
Manchester United have some good young players in their squad, as the likes of Daniel James and Mason Greenwood have bright futures ahead of them. Greenwood has already shown this season that he has the potential to be one of the best in the world, but it was his breakthrough season, so it remains to be seen if he can replicate his form on a consistent basis.
Manchester United need some experience on the right flank, and Dembele, despite being just 23, has plenty of top-flight experience with big clubs having played for Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona.
The only worry for Manchester United will be Dembele’s injury record in recent seasons. The Frenchman has made a lot of starts for Barcelona, so it remains to be seen how his body would cope if he is asked to start week in week out at Manchester United.
Stats via Whoscored
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