Varun Pai
Manchester United ahead of the competition in race to sign Barcelona ace Ousmane Dembele amidst contract issues
According to Sport (h/t Daily Star), Manchester United are “pushing the most” to sign Ousmane Dembele amidst a contract stalemate with Barcelona.
The 24-year-old ace could be nearing an exit from Barcelona soon. The winger is in the final year of his contract and is yet to sign a new deal despite the Spanish club pushing to get a deal over the line.
If an agreement cannot be reached between the concerned parties in the coming week, he shall be eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club from next month. Chelsea, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in landing his services.
However, it is Man United that are pushing the most to secure his signature. Ralf Rangnick has started a new era at Old Trafford and is already plotting transfer plans for the 13-time Premier League champions.
Is it important to sign Dembele?
A quick glance at our squad would point towards the fact that the last thing we need is another attacker. However, there are some contractual issues and game-time concerns that could lead to the exit of some fringe stars.
Edinson Cavani is out of contract in the summer but Barcelona are lining up a move for him in January itself, as per Marca (h/t The Express). Jesse Lingard is thought to stay until the end of the season but could leave as a free agent after that. Anthony Martial has apparently indicated through his client that he wants to depart Old Trafford in the winter transfer window.
There is also the issue that Cristiano Ronaldo shall turn 37 in two months, although he is showing no real signs of slowing down. However, in such a scenario, getting a player of Dembele’s quality on a free transfer is not a bad idea. His time at Barcelona has been tumultuous. But he was one of the most sought-after talents during his time at Borussia Dortmund.
He is still relatively young and possesses considerable quality on the ball. Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford have also been inconsistent this season and banking on them in the future is not the safest option. They need competition within the ranks, and the French international could certainly provide that.
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Signing the Barcelona ace is not our most pressing issue, but it could prove to be helpful in the long run. After all, Man United have focused on building towards the future in recent years and a player like Dembele, when fit, is certainly a handful for defenders.
His ability on the ball is there for all to see and his runs down the wing offer his team a solid avenue for attacking. A player who can play well with both his feet, the France international can play either side of the attack. He would add depth and quality to the ranks but if he is signed, one can imagine a youngster such as Amad Diallo seeing his minutes reducing even further.
