According to a recent report by the Sun, Liverpool are prepared to splash the cash when the transfer window reopens in January to bring Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele to Anfield. It is understood that the Reds are willing to pay a fee in the region of £85m for the French international’s services as Jurgen Klopp reckons that he could be the ideal signing to help them challenge for the Premier League title in the second half of this campaign.
Dembele’s Lacklustre Start To This New Season
Dembele has seen first-team opportunities hard to come by for the Catalans this season. The likes of Rafinha and Malcom have been preferred over him by Ernesto Valverde in recent weeks. Even a severe injury to Lionel Messi didn’t lead to Dembele getting more game time which comes as a surprise considering that Valverde paid a whopping £135.5m to bring him to the Nou Camp at the start of last season.
The French wonderkid has failed to live up to the high expectations surrounding his arrival at the Nou Camp from Borussia Dortmund last year. However, his goal-scoring record for Barca has not been bad by any means which indicates that he still might have a promising future in European football.
The 21-year-old has made 15 appearances for the Blaugrana this term, finding the back of the net six times while providing two assists in all competitions. The Barca youngster has also earned 20 international caps for the French national side and has scored two goals for his country thus far.
What Will The French Forward Add To Jurgen Klopp’s Team?
The French talent can run at the opposition defenders with high speed and is a fabulous dribbler with the ball at his feet. He can choose to beat his marker on the dribble especially during the 1v1 scenarios in the wide areas. However, Dembele still has a long way to go so he needs to work hard and improve his physical attributes if he wants to be a success in the Premier League.
Should The Reds Cough Up £85m For Dembele?
Dembele will be an ideal fit for Jurgen Klopp’s style of football at Merseyside as he would add even more pace and quality to the Reds attack. Despite all of his strengths, it would be quite difficult for him to earn a regular starting berth at Anfield with the likes of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah all guaranteed starters under Klopp.
It is true that the Merseyside club needs more competition up top but paying £85m might be a bit too much for a player who might operate as an impact substitute.
