Reports: Ousmane Dembele gives Manchester United one condition to join
Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele has reportedly given Manchester United one condition that must be fulfilled before he can join the Premier League giants.
The 23-year-old has been with Barcelona since signing for a then-club-record fee in 2017, but he has seen his time at Camp Nou plagued by recurring injury concerns.
His poor fitness record has seen him put up on the market and it appears that United could offer him a route out of his Catalunya nightmare.
The Red Devils have been engaged in a long-running transfer saga to sign primary target Jadon Sancho. However, they have so far been unable to match Borussia Dortmund's valuation of their star asset.
With 24 hours to go until the transfer window shuts, United have reportedly turned their attention to signing alternatives. Ousmane Dembele is one of the names being linked.
The France international would add diversity and vibrancy to a United attack that sometimes looks short of ideas. However, he has reportedly identified the one condition that his potential move hinges upon.
Ousmane Dembele open to United transfer, gives one condition
Ousmane Dembele has reportedly given the green light for a move to Old Trafford, but everything is dependent on the satisfaction of one condition.
The former Rennes man reportedly wants the guarantee of a long-term contract from the Red Devils.
United are said to be holding out for a loan deal and are unwilling to break the bank for an injury-prone player. However, if they do make his move permanent, Ousmane Dembele would cost them around £65 million.
The Old Trafford side have been burned in the past by handing out long-term contracts to injury-prone players, and would be wary of repeating their mistakes.
Ousmane Dembele would relish a move away from Barcelona. The return of Philippe Coutinho, coupled with the strong showing of youngster Ansu Fati, could see him struggle for playing time under Ronald Koeman.
The Barcelona manager has done little to quell speculation surrounding Dembele's exit. When asked of the rumours, he said:
"He [Dembele] is a Barca player. I haven't spoken to him about his future. We'll see. I want to have happy people here, if they [players] aren’t happy because they don't play, they can speak to me. Dembele hasn’t told me anything. If nothing happens, I’m counting on him and he will have options [to play]."
United have been passive in the transfer market and have only brought in Donny Van de Beek from Ajax so far. They have less than 36 hours to decide on any potential deal for Ousmane Dembele.