Reports: Manchester United make contact with Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele
Manchester United look to be continuing their pursuit of French winger Ousmane Dembele. Having failed to sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, United targeted Dembele towards the end of the transfer window but could not come to an agreement with Barcelona.
Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, Manchester United are going back in for the French speedster and have made contact with Barcelona to sign him during the January transfer window.
The Spanish outlet have claimed that Barcelona would demand at least €70 million to let Dembele walk away from the club. The former Borussia Dortmund winger signed for Barcelona in 2017 on a five-year deal worth a hefty €105 million and the Catalan club will look to recoup a sizeable chunk of that fee.
The tricky winger has never been able to reach the heights that Barcelona hoped he would, given his price tag. Dembele has only managed 84 appearances since 2017. This has mainly been due to his tumultuous injury record.
Dembele could swap Barcelona for Manchester United to start afresh
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Les Bleus star has not yet signed the contract that Barcelona have offered him.
Dembele missed a good portion of last season due to recurring injuries. He played only nine games, as Barcelona failed to win any silverware, finished second in the La Liga standings and got humiliated by Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
This season, under Ronald Koeman, Dembele has managed to start in five of his ten appearances, having played the full 90 minutes only once. Although he has provided three goals and an assist, Dembele does not look to be in Koeman's plans going forward, with the Dutchman having a plethora of options on the wings.
If Dembele does make the switch to Old Trafford, Manchester United will finally have the winger they were so desperately looking for in the summer. The electric Frenchman, who can play on either flank, would link up with his compatriots Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial and will provide the much-needed width that Manchester United are looking for.
The Barcelona winger will look to cause havoc for Premier League defenses in a Manchester United attack that already boasts the likes of Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani.
Ousmane Dembele's abilities are unquestionable, but given his injury record, signing him would be a huge risk for Manchester United.
Will Manchester United be able to prise away the French superstar from Barcelona? Or should they focus their attention on someone else?