Sometimes it just doesn’t work out for a player at a certain club, and things have conspired against Ousmane Dembele at Barcelona.
He’s either been injured or seen as the fourth choice attacker in a system that uses three forward players, so it’s been impossible for him to get a run of games.
He’s only 23 so there’s no way his career can be written off yet, but it’s probably fair to describe him as an expensive flop in the eyes of Barcelona.
He needs a move to revitalise his career, with Mundo Deportivo reporting that Juventus are looking to take him on an initial loan and have opened talks with Barcelona.
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They suggest the he still desperately wants to prove himself at Barcelona, but he would be open to moving to Juve as he looks to get his career back on track.
They also state that due to his poor form and recent injuries, the Italian giants would only be looking to take him on loan at this point so they can see what level he’s at.
It’s not clear if any loan deal would include an option to buy, but The BBC reported that Barca paid a fee of £135m to sign him from Dortmund a few years ago, so surely they would be looking to recoup as much of that as possible.
It would make sense for Juve to include a buy out option now as his value can only increase if he plays well, but they will also want to ensure it’s just an option to buy and not an obligation.