Manchester United and Liverpool will no doubt be keeping a close eye on the latest transfer news on Ousmane Dembele as it looks like a decision has been made on his Barcelona future.
There will no doubt be a few more twists and turns in this saga yet, but it now looks like Dembele is leaning towards leaving the Nou Camp as a free agent at the end of the season, according to Spanish football news outlet Cadena Ser.
The France international is nearing the end of his contract and will be one of the most tempting free agents on the market in the summer if this does end up being the final decision on his future.
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It was recently reported by talkSPORT that Barcelona wanted Dembele to decide on his future this month so they could possibly sell him while they still had the chance, with Man Utd named as one of his suitors.
Cadena Ser claim, however, that the 24-year-old doesn’t want to move this month, so it could mean United and other clubs get the chance to sign him for free in the summer.
Liverpool have also been linked with Dembele by El Nacional, so we could see a fight between two major rivals for his signature in the months ahead.
Is Dembele what Man Utd and Liverpool need?
There’s no doubt that the Dembele transfer would come with some risks, as the former Borussia Dortmund man has had a highly inconsistent spell with Barca.
Despite looking like an elite young talent in the Bundesliga earlier in his career, he’s never quite settled in La Liga and part of that is down to his injury record.
If Dembele can stay fit and regain his best form, he’d surely be an asset at Old Trafford, where the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial are out of form, and even summer signing Jadon Sancho has been underwhelming so far this season.
The Frenchman could also be an important addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad, with Mohamed Salah nearing the final year of his contract, while Sadio Mane is not getting any younger.
Even if Dembele’s arrival might raise one or two eyebrows from unconvinced fans, it seems like there’s the potential for a good deal to be done if he’s arriving without a transfer fee.