Barcelona News: Catalan giants granted permission to sign Ousmane Dembele replacement outside transfer window
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have been granted permission by the LaLiga to sign a replacement for the injured Ousmane Dembele outside the transfer window, who is set to miss the remainder of the season and the European Championships in the summer owing to a long-term injury.
The Frenchman, who has failed to hit the ground running since his big-money move from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017, has once again endured a torrid campaign, as he looks set to be out for a prolonged period after suffering a torn hamstring.
While Quique Setien was reportedly in the market for an attacker in the January transfer window, Barcelona made an unsuccessful attempt to sign Valencia's Rodrigo Moreno, who was viewed as a long-term replacement for Luis Suarez.
Since Dembele's injury, there have been reports that the club would be allowed to sign a replacement outside of the transfer window, as the Frenchman's prolonged absence has put the club in a spot of bother. Since then, LaLiga have officially confirmed that Blaugrana will be allowed to draft in a replacement, with the likes of Lucas Perez, Loren Moron and Willian San Jose mentioned as potential targets.
Barcelona are expected to accelerate their attempts to sign an attacker in the coming days, as they look to retain the LaLiga and advance to the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League, with their round of 16 tie against Napoli around the corner.