Barcelona president gives Ousmane Dembele update amid Manchester United links
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has hinted that winger Ousmane Dembele is likely to stay at Camp Nou, amid heavy links to Manchester United, with Ronald Koeman set to take up the role of head coach at the Catalan club.
Dembele, who last played a game in November, has endured yet another stop-start season in La Liga, making just three starts in the league.
Addressing the speculation around Lionel Messi, Dembele and a host of the other players, Bartomeu said:
"It would be a cliché to just say, Leo Messi. Messi is the best player in history but there are other non-transferable ones. There are many young players. Ter Stegen, Lenglet, De Jong, Semedo, Dembélé, Griezmann. They are players that we count on a lot and who have come to spend many years at Barca."
Barcelona president expects Manchester United target Ousmane Dembele to stay
Manchester United target Ousmane Dembele looks set to stay in Spain as Barcelona look to rebuild under new manager Ronald Koeman.
Dembele made the bench for the first time since his injury as Barcelona took a hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Dembele, who had another injury-ravaged season at Catalunya, played under 500 minutes of football in the Spanish top flight, scoring just one goal in the process.
Manchester United were considering the 23-year-old as a replacement for Jadon Sancho as negotiations for the English sensation appear to have stalled between United and Borussia Dortmund.
Manchester United are in the market for a right-winger, with Sancho as the first choice for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, the Red Devils are yet to agree on a fee for the 20-year-old as Dortmund continue to hold out for €120 million. Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has also been mentioned as a potential alternative if the Red Devils fail to bring Sancho to Old Trafford.
Koeman will be looking to find a new core for his Barcelona side, with the established spine of Gerard Pique, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez all players well past their 30th birthday.
Ousmane Dembele, if he manages to stay fit, could be a solution for the former Everton manager as he can contribute a lot with his pace and dribbling ability.