Barcelona believe that Ousmane Dembele may already have an agreement in place with either Manchester United or Juventus for when his contract at the Nou Camp expires in the summer.
The France international angered his current club by refusing to leave in January, and Barcelona now seem convinced it’s because he already has a deal in place with either Man Utd or Juve, according to Sport.
Barca would ideally have sold Dembele this winter in order to avoid losing him on a free at the end of the season, but Sport claim that the player rejected approaches from Chelsea, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.
Dembele could make sense as a top target for United right now, with Jadon Sancho struggling since his move from Borussia Dortmund last summer, while Anthony Martial has just left for a loan move to Sevilla.
Even if Dembele hasn’t quite been at his best for much of his time in La Liga, he clearly remains a highly-rated talent if all these transfer rumours linking him with so many big clubs are accurate.
Chelsea could also have done with a signing like Dembele, with the 24-year-old previously shining under Thomas Tuchel at Dortmund, whilst potentially looking like being an upgrade on unconvincing performers like Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic.
Dembele also makes sense as a tempting option for Tottenham, who look in need of a bit more spark up front after a difficult season so far, with Harry Kane sometimes looking a little isolated in attack.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside this week, ex-Red Devil Luke Chadwick admitted that Dembele is a big talent and that there could be room for him at Old Trafford.
“The wide players haven’t really had a fantastic season. Sancho’s not hit the ground running, Rashford’s not really been at his brilliant best. Elanga’s been a breath of fresh air with his energy and enthusiasm, showing no fear,” Chadwick said.
“If Dembele wants to move to United, it could hinge on what happens between now and the end of the season and if Champions League football’s secured, but he’s certainly a hugely talented player.
“I wouldn’t say there’s huge disappointment that we didn’t sign him this January, but he’s a World Cup winner, he’s got huge potential, but he’s coming to the stage of his career where he needs to perform on a consistent basis.”