Liverpool is prepared to entice Ousmane Dembele to leave his current club, Barcelona, with an offer that includes a €20m signing bonus on top of pay increases.

In a report by Catalan newspaper El Nacional, Liverpool is ramping up their attempts to get Ousmane Dembele on a free transfer during the next summer transfer window. It is expected that the Reds would give the Barcelona contract rebel a €20m signing bonus, in addition to increased salary, in exchange for his agreement to join them on a Bosman transfer.

Ousmane Dembele joined Barcelona in the summer of 2017, after a tense split from Borussia Dortmund in which he was a key player. Immediately after Neymar’s shocking transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, the Frenchman was largely seen as the long-term successor to the Brazilian. His ailments have plagued him over the previous four years, and he has spent much more time on the sidelines than he has on the field during that period.

Xavi has shown faith in Ousmane Dembele

A similar situation has played out in the 2021/22 season, with the 24-year-old having played just 25 minutes in total thus far. Dembele has suffered a hamstring injury, which will keep him out for many months after he was forced to miss the first half of the season with a knee ailment.

Despite his fitness issues, Barcelona is committed to guaranteeing the long-term future of the 2018 FIFA World Cup champion, with newly hired manager Xavi urging that the club agrees on a contract extension with him before the end of the season. Dembele, on the other hand, seems to be on his way out of Camp Nou as a free agent, with his position having been brought to the attention of Liverpool, among others.

It has even been suggested that Liverpool and Dembele are in communication, with the groundwork for a potential Bosman transfer having been set out in advance. The Reds, according to El Nacional, are prepared to pay the 24-year-old a handsome €20m signing bonus in order to persuade him to leave his current club of Barcelona.

In addition, Liverpool will provide him with a more lucrative compensation package than he is now receiving from Barcelona. Divock Origi’s future at Anfield is in doubt, while Mohamed Salah has yet to be handed a lucrative new contract by the Reds, creating worry about his long-term future. The interest in Dembele is understandable, given the uncertainty surrounding Origi’s future at Anfield.

Ousmane Dembele’s future is unclear as of now

So Dembele would be a real contender to join the Merseyside club’s offensive unit, maybe in a similar manner to how the club acquired former Chelsea striker Diogo Jota in the previous season. If the speculations of increased salary are genuine, Liverpool will be optimistic about their prospects, especially given recent reports that Barcelona is giving Dembele a pay-as-you-play deal, as reported by SPORT.

As a result, a fascinating transfer scenario seems to be unfolding, with Liverpool attempting to lure Dembele to Anfield with the generous compensation package they have promised. What remains to be seen is whether or not the Barcelona contract rebel will opt out of his deal and join Liverpool as a free agent in the summer of 2021.