Manchester United to battle Arsenal for Ousmane Dembele

According to Diario Sport (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester United are keen on making a move for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele in spite of his injury concerns.

The French winger has faced a number of injury setbacks since moving to the Nou Camp in 2017. He has so far missed 80 games in his three years at Barcelona, a figure that incredibly exceeds his total number of appearances for the club.

The Catalans are expected to permit a transfer this summer. United will face competition for the player from arch-rivals Arsenal.

The Gunners are attempting to rebuild under new manager Mikel Arteta. However, both clubs will also make a careful study of the player’s injury history before making a final call.

Barcelona may allow Dembele to leave for as low as £43million, a considerable hit given that the Catalans paid £96.8million to secure him just three years ago.

A loan switch may be an option, with Barcelona extremely keen to move the player on. Dembele has been in touch with French teammate Anthony Martial in order to gain inside knowledge of life at Old Trafford.

But the winger is also believed to be willing to remain at Barcelona and battle to secure a first-team spot once again.  

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Dembele is an extremely skilled player who can be nurtured into someone special. He has showcased his ability to turn matches at the Nou Camp, with his fitness the only concern.

Given his ability, it is surprising Barcelona are extremely keen to offload him. Provided there is no long-term damage to the player’s physical condition, he might as well turn out to be a steal at that price.