Krishnan Sreekumar
Transfer News: Barcelona consider short Ousmane Dembele contract offer amid Manchester United links
As per Sport (h/t Express), Manchester United could face a transfer blow in their bid to sign Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele in the summer as the Catalan club is considering offering him a short contract to keep him in Spain.
The French winger was destined for a move away from La Liga in January, as the player and Barcelona got into an ugly spat over his contract renewal. Dembele is out of contract in the summer, and the club had made up their minds to sell him immediately after the player refused to commit to the Camp Nou side.
Now, it seems that the Spanish giants have taken a u-turn in their approach towards the former Borussia Dortmund man as they are now considering a two-year offer for Dembele as they look to repel other clubs’ interest in him and keep him for themselves.
This unexpected turn of events is said to be down to Xavi Hernandez’s treatment of Dembele, as the manager has brought him back from the wilderness and allowed him to play. It certainly seems to have had an effect on the France international as he was recently seen scoring a goal and getting two assists as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 4-0 at home.
Summer transfer blow
Manchester United were not the only club behind Dembele, however, as Chelsea too had expressed an interest in the player during the January transfer window. Both Premier League clubs were hoping to sign the World Cup winner on a free transfer in the summer, but that dream could die down if Barcelona are planning to offer him a new contract.
Despite the Frenchman’s inconsistency and injury worries during his time in La Liga, clubs seem to be still interested in securing his signature. Whatever may be said about his past record with Barcelona, the forward is in red hot form at the moment after his miraculous transfer u-turn since the winter transfer window.
After an explosive January window that saw Barcelona publicly declare that they are looking to sell Dembele before the end of the month, the France international was the club’s hero the previous weekend as he came off the bench to help his side extend their lead and wrap up a convincing win in the league.
United’s loss is Xavi’s gain as the Barca manager seems to have gained a new player in Dembele. The Frenchman seems to be playing with an intention to prove his doubters wrong, and if he keeps this form up, he is sure to attract interest from other clubs in the summer as he is still available for free at the end of the season.
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The Red Devils are in desperate need of forwards at the moment, given our struggles in front of the net this term. Goals are a rarity at Old Trafford, and despite numerous chances being created, the club does not seem to have anyone to rely on to apply the finishing touches to these chances.
With Mason Greenwood’s suspension, Anthony Martial’s lack of form in England, and Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo’s age, a young forward like Dembele would do a world of good to our depth up front. But it now looks like a tough task, given Barca’s intentions of keeping him at Camp Nou for a little longer. It remains to be seen if the proposal is framed and Dembele agrees to it.
