Despite a difficult start, Manchester United are slowly gaining momentum with three successive wins across various competitions and according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano (while speaking on his Here We Go podcast, as claimed by the Daily Mail), the Red Devils have not given up on Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele ahead of the winter window.
The 23-year-old Frenchman is yet to settle in despite securing an astronomical €105m (plus €40 million add-ons) transfer from Borussia Dortmund three years back. Injuries refrained him from having a run of games in the recent past, but the youngster is still struggling to cement a starting status when he is fit and available for selection.
Struggle At Barcelona
Ronaldo Koeman, the newly appointed Balugrana chief, has only handed him four league starts in eight outings. Also, one Champions League start in four games depicts the uncertainty over his Barca future. The decision of rejecting an extension (beyond the current contract that runs until the summer of 2022) has alerted the English hotshots who, however, were keen on a short-term deal which cooled down the negotiations.
While the Catalans would attempt to make a significant financial profit from the player’s sale amid monetary constraints, United are likely to play the hardball with Jadon Sancho being their preferred transfer target. Dembele’s valuation will decrease furthermore next summer unless he puts pen to paper and the Red Devils must explore this opportunity in case they fail to revive interest in the Borussia Dortmund starlet.
Why Manchester United Must Step Up Interest In Ousmane Dembele
The Les Bleus international is extremely versatile and is capable of operating from both the flanks. Two-footed footballers are a rare breed and Dembele is most certainly one of them, having exhibited his expertise in limited opportunities. Although 18-year-old Ansu Fati got preference ahead of him following some majestic performances, a knee injury has now ruled the teenager out for a substantial period of time, which may extend to four months, and in turn which should see the ex-Rennes prodigy getting the nod in the upcoming weeks.
United, meanwhile, have Marcus Rashford featuring from the left but lack similar impact from the right flank with Jesse Lingard and Daniel James both failing to deliver under Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Juan Mata, 32, can’t be a solution week in, week out and the signing of Dembele would indeed be a statement of intent from the board after messing it up time and again during the previous windows.
