Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele. Dembele moved to the Catalan club from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of around €105 million in 2017, and has had a mixed spell at Camp Nou so far.
As per Daily Record, the Red Devils have made contact with Barcelona to sign the 23-year-old Frenchman, and they want to bring him in, initially, on loan.
The Blaugrana, reportedly, want a fee of around €100 million for Dembele, whose contract with the club expires in 2022.
Dembele was brought in as a replacement for Neymar, following the Brazilian’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain. The Frenchman has plundered 19 goals 17 assists in 74 games for the Primera Division club.
Ousmane Dembele to Manchester United – Is he worth the fuss?
Manchester United’s main target in this current transfer window has been Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, who has flourished at the German club, becoming one of the most exciting wingers in Europe. But, the Red Devils have not been able to finalise a deal to bring Sancho back to England.
With the transfer window set to close in just under two weeks, Manchester United should act fast and add a few fresh faces to the club. The right-wing position has been a priority for Manchester United, as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does not have many quality options to choose from for the role.
Ousmane Dembele primarily plays as a right-winger, but has also played on the left-wing. The speedy, quick-footed Frenchman likes to drive at defenders, take them on and beat them with pace and his exquisite close control.
The French winger was touted to become one of the best in his position, but it hasn’t gone to plan for him at Barca, as the Catalan club have not extracted the best out of him, while injuries and off-field issues haven’t helped matters either.
Dembele is an exciting talent, but he may not be the right fit for Manchester United. The French winger has had off-field issues with many questioning his professionalism, which is something that Solskjaer may not tolerate.
The transfer fee would also on the higher end for a player who hasn’t quite delivered. If United are willing to pay €100 million for Dembele, they would be better off paying the extra €20 million that Dortmund are demanding for Sancho.
Dembele has also had a lot of injuries during his spell at Barcelona, and that could also be a potential hindrance. You would want your marquee signing to play as many games as possible and make an impact, but that is no guarantee with Dembele.
Breaking their transfer record to sign an injury-prone player? A strict no-no.