PSG interested in Barcelona star as potential Kylian Mbappe replacement, Manchester United's clear strategy for the summer and more - Fabrizio Romano Exclusive
A transfer window full of surprises has just ended, but clubs across the continent are already working on planning for the future. Much will depend on important decisions between now and the end of the season, especially ahead of a summer transfer window that could be filled with high-profile free agents.
Ousmane Dembélé, in the last few days of January, was offered to many clubs by Barcelona. The board tried to find solutions because the French winger did not reach an agreement to have his contract renewed, due to which president Joan Laporta ordered to have him sold in January. However, it proved to be impossible for various reasons.
Barcelona initiated contact with Paris Saint-Germain over a swap deal that was never close to being completed. Mauro Icardi, the PSG player involved in the deal, had no intention of leaving Paris and other players were not considered part of the negotiation. The rumors of an official Manchester United offer for Dembélé are not accurate and the same goes for Chelsea despite the Frenchman enjoying a cordial relationship with Thomas Tuchel due to the time they spent together at Borussia Dortmund.
Neither club was really close to Dembélé, while Tottenham Hotspur were aware of the possibility of buying him in the last hours of the transfer market but chose to avoid such an important investment for a player difficult to place in Antonio Conte's 3-5-2 system.
#FCBBarça president Joan Laporta on Ousmane Dembélé: “If we have to pay Dembélé until June 30th, we find it logical what Xavi says about using him”, he told Movistar. 🔴 #FCB
“Let’s hope Ousmane behaves professionally”, Laporta added. @barcacentre
What will happen now? The decisions between now and June will be made by Xavi, who will have the maximum power in the management of Dembélé, but pay attention to potential surprises because, in the summer, it will be an open race for the French winger. Paris Saint-Germain may be among the clubs interested if Kylian Mbappé signs with Real Madrid, but the Premier League remains a possible destination for Dembélé as some clubs have taken information from his agent Moussa Sissoko. In short, the future of Dembélé will be decided in the months ahead after a turbulent January.
Speaking of Paris Saint-Germain, here is an update on Marquinhos. The club's board is enthusiastic about his performance, leadership and the winning mentality he has shown over the years. Considered a decisive player in the locker room as well as on the pitch, Marquinhos will soon receive a proposal from Paris Saint-Germain to sign a new contract for the next five years.
PSG are preparing to keep Marquinhos after Chelsea tried to buy him last June. The Blues made an €80 million offer, but the Ligue 1 side did not even want to consider parting with the Brazilian. "He has to stay with us for life, Marquinhos loves PSG," director of football Leonardo said in December 2021.
Manchester United to add to their squad this summer after quiet January window
Manchester United's strategy, on the other hand, has been very clear since the beginning of January. The club chose not to accept the proposals from the agents of Denis Zakaria and Boubakar Kamara as they chose to reserve their transfer budget for the new manager who will arrive for the 2022-23 season, rather than spend mid-season for players who may not be liked by the future manager. This is the reason behind their quiet transfer window and also why they refused to include an option to buy in the deals involving Donny van de Beek, Anthony Martial and Amad Diallo.
Everton tried to include a clause to sign Van de Beek permanently, but Manchester United did not consider this option because they want the Dutchman to be evaluated by the future manager before selling him. The same goes for Martial, who moved to Sevilla on a straight loan. Manchester United will look to avoid the mistake of losing players who could be part of the project under a new manager, who will be chosen in the coming months to replace Ralf Rangnick after the German takes over as a consultant at the end of the season.
Rangnick on Pogba’s future: “I’m happy to have him back in the squad. His contract is expiring in the summer and if, in the end, he would like to stay or go somewhere else he has to show up”. 🔴 #MUFC
“It’s in his personal interest that he plays at the highest level”, he said. https://t.co/gSwJWOzHcO
Amad Diallo moved on a straight loan to Rangers with a very specific strategy. The club is convinced he can become one of the best talents in the world - they invested €23 million plus very high bonuses to sign him from Atalanta in September 2020 and want to protect him as part of the project for the next few years.
Sending him to Rangers to get regular football under his belt was approved by Rangnick and the player himself, who accepted a move to Scotland over a potential return to Serie A, where Sassuolo wanted to get him on loan without success. Manchester United continue to believe in him as a potential star of the future and are expecting him to rejoin the squad this summer.