In a shocking story, there are reports claiming that Barcelona superstar Ousmane Dembele has stated that he prefers a move to Manchester United over any other English club. The Premier League giants have been given a massive boost in the race for securing the Frenchman’s services.
Dembele arrived at the Camp Nou earlier this summer for a massive fee of €105m from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. The young starlet was considered as one of the most promising talents across the continent because of his flashes of brilliance at Dortmund which is why Barcelona came calling for Dembele. However, it has not been smooth sailing for the quick forward ever since making the move to Spain as in his debut season Dembele was hampered with injuries and poor form whenever he performed. He certainly did not justify his price-tag with his performances which has caused the Barcelona faithful to turn on him.
A top European club is definitely no place for a 20-year-old to come under so much scrutiny and pressure from fans at such a young age, but it’s understandable because Barcelona fans are extremely demanding of their players. In 18 appearances for La Blaugrana this term, Dembele has managed just three goals and five assists so far in an underwhelming return ratio which has linked him with a move away from the Catalonian club. A hoard of elite clubs across the continent is on red alert regarding Dembele such as Bayern Munich, Paris Saint Germain, Chelsea and Manchester United.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Premier League side Manchester United is leading the race for his signature because according to reports, it is Dembele’s dream to play at Old Trafford, according to news outlet Don Balon. The French attacking midfielder can be a real bonus for Manchester United considering their goal-scoring problems in the front line. However, we have seen that Dembele has had problems adapting to the La Liga after his failure of a season with Barcelona and could struggle with his first season in England if Manchester United decide to swoop him in.
With the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Lionel Messi, Ivan Rakitic and the possible arrival of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid Dembele may not be able to cement his role as a regular starter at Barcelona. However, at Manchester United, Dembele could replace his national compatriot Anthony Martial at the Red side of Manchester. The 22-year-old has struggled for regular football under his Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho and looks set to depart the Theater Of Dreams.
The report also claims that Dembele has rejected offers from former Dortmund rivals Bayern Munich and West London outfit Chelsea in order to sign for Manchester United. Chelsea would love to have had Dembele as a replacement for the Real Madrid bound Eden Hazard, but United now seem favorites to secure a £97m deal for the 20-year-old who has a lot of ability and is eager to prove his worth. Manchester United will face Chelsea in the FA Cup Final.
