Rijo Sam Daniel
Manchester United receive transfer boost as Ousmane Dembele ignores Barcelona contract deadline
According to the Spanish publications AS and Sport (h/t ESPN), Ousmane Dembele has ignored the deadline date set by Barcelona over a contract renewal handing a transfer boost to Manchester United in the process. His future at the Camp Nou has been a matter of much debate in recent months.
Dembele has entered the final six months of his deal with Barca and could reach a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs this month. They had given him until January 15 to provide an answer over their latest offer on the table but, they were left hanging as there was no response from his side.
Xavi Hernandez was upset with the Frenchman after having backed the winger in recent weeks. The forward’s agent had asked for a new deal worth around €240 million over five years. Since the latest offer was not accepted, it is reasonable to think that the Spanish club have not met those demands resulting in the current standoff.
Man United are not alone as Juventus also want to secure the 24-year-old’s signature next summer. Chelsea are also in the mix, having contacted his representatives to discuss the possibilities of a future transfer. Based on the current circumstances, it will be interesting to see how the issue develops in the coming weeks.
Should Man Utd Sign Dembele?
The La Liga star is still an exciting prospect despite the struggles he had with injuries since his move to Spain. That has resulted in his failure to reach the potential he had shown during his days at Stade Rennes and Borussia Dortmund. Getting the attacker for free would be a golden opportunity considering how he still could reach his potential in the years to come.
At the same time, there are some red flags that we need to keep an eye on since we cannot afford to make wrong choices in our current scenario. The France international’s demands are too high for someone who has failed to regularly make himself available for selection. His injury concerns alone are another risk factor, making the need for a potential transfer to be carefully mapped out.
More Manchester United News
- Manchester United could be rivalled for the appointment of PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino as permanent manager next season
- Newcastle United looking to beat West Ham United to the signing of out-of-contract Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard in January
- Ex-Manchester United star Roy Keane tells interim manager Ralf Rangnick he must build the team around 3 players
Plus, our priorities lie elsewhere at the moment, with the midfield being the Red Devils’ major weakness looking at how easily we get bypassed in the centre of the pitch. This has been an issue since last season and it is baffling how the board had failed to address it so far.
We cannot allow a repeat of what happened last season, or we may see the team regress even further in the future. With Fred, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic as our natural options for a double pivot, there is a clear lack of dynamism in the middle of the park. It is up to the management to rectify their mistakes, and if that means we should pass on the chance to sign the Blaugrana attacker, we should do just that.
