Reports | Manchester City looking into signing Ousmane Dembele in the summer
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester City are interested in acquiring Ousmane Dembele on a free transfer in the upcoming summer transfer window as they brace themselves for the loss of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus. The French winger’s current contract at Barcelona expires this summer.
Barcelona signed Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017 for a then club record fee. The Frenchman had established himself as one of the trickiest wingers in European football during his stint with the German club and Barcelona looked to bolster their attacking options by signing Dembele. The Catalan club looked to usher in a new era after the departure of Neymar in 2017 as they used the money from his sale to fund the transfers of key players.
It hasn't gone according to plan for the Barcelona and Dembele as the Frenchman has been subject to various injuries which has kept him from featuring consistently for the Spanish side. Dembele has less than six months remaining on his deal and talks between the club and the player’s representatives are understood to have broken down. According to reports from the Daily Mail, Manchester City could take advantage of the situation and attempt to lure the World Cup winner to England in the summer.
The reigning Premier League champions could lose the forward duo of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus amid links to a transfer away from the Etihad Stadium. Rumours surfaced last week that Arsenal had prioritized the signing of Jesus in the summer and that City were open to facilitating a sale. Sterling’s contract, on the other hand, expires at the end of next summer and a sale is likely to prevent him from leaving the club on a free transfer.
City manager Pep Guardiola will be eager to draft in replacements with the departures of key attackers forcing the club to act quickly in the transfer market. It is understood that the Manchester club are likely to find an agreement with Dembele’s camp over financial terms.