Manchester United and Liverpool could be set to fight over the signing of Ousmane Dembele this summer. Barcelona are looking to offer the forward a new deal but admit that they could sell him after the European Championships.
Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele could finally be set to leave the club amid links to Manchester United and Liverpool.
The Frenchman has had a torrid time at the Nom Camp since his high-profile move from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, which cost £135m.
Earmarked as the successor to Neymar, who had left for Paris Saint-Germain earlier that summer, the hype was huge for Dembele.
However, a number of injuries have ravaged his time in Catalonia and has restricted his time on the pitch.
And when he has been fit, the likes of Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien were unimpressed with his attitude.
There have been signs of improvement under Ronald Koeman, though, and most recently he scored a vital winner against Real Valladolid to crank up the pressure on Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga.
According to AS, Barca plan on handing Dembele a new contract this summer.
But the club are in financial ruin, while still planning on making several signings in the transfer window.
The report goes on to state that they have set this European Championship tournament as the deadline to make a decision on Dembele’s future.
A three-year extension has so far been proposed but if an agreement is not made, Barcelona’s new president Joan Laporta will accept bids for the winger.
That will alert United and Liverpool, who have long been linked with the 23-year-old.
Jurgen Klopp worked with the youngster momentarily at Dortmund while Old Trafford chiefs have admired Dembele for a long time.
With just one year left on his contract, both Premier League clubs will be eagerly looking to lower the fee as much as possible.
Barcelona’s financial state also puts them at a disadvantage as they cannot afford to call off negotiations.
Koeman would be devastated to lose the forward, who has three goals in his last five La Liga appearances.
“I would like Dembele to stay, he is an important player for us,” as per reports from Marca.
“Today, he has shown that with his game and the goal. The key is that he has physically improved and has been able to play a lot of games in a row.”
