Arsenal are looking to take advantage of the obscure situation of Ousmane Dembele at Barcelona by bankrolling a summer move for the Frenchman.
According to Spanish publication Don Balon, Arsene Wenger is looking to bring in one of his fellow countrymen in the summer to provide a boost to his already star-studded attack. The Arsenal manager is looking to bankroll a summer move for Ousmane Dembele, whose current situation at Barcelona is a bit obscure, to say the least.
Ousmane Dembele became a sensation within a season of his Dortmund stint, so much so that he was snapped up by Barcelona in the summer transfer window of the 2017-18 campaign, for a fee that set a new Bundesliga record. But, a long-term injury derailed his start at his new club.
Now, with the arrival of Philippe Coutinho, who is likely vying for the same spot as Dembele, his role as a starter is under threat, especially with Barcelona also looking to land Antoine Griezmann in the summer. While Coutinho can still be deployed in a withdrawn role as a midfielder, Griezmann’s potential arrival could see Dembele being strapped for starts at the Nou Camp.
Arsene Wenger is looking to take advantage of the aforementioned situation. Arsenal have already brought in Henrikh Mkhitaryan to unite him with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But, the Gabonese has hinted to also wanting a reunion with his former Dortmund teammate Ousmane Dembele, now at Barcelona.
#AFC| Reports suggesting that Arsenal will attempt to sign Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona in the summer. It’s believed Barcelona are willing to let Dembele leave as they target Griezmann as a replacement. pic.twitter.com/bO7CeUy8hA
— Arsenal News HQ™️ (@ArsenalNews_HQ) February 15, 2018
Thus, Wenger is exploring the possibility of bringing the Frenchman over to England in the summer, with the manager ready to bankroll a €60 million move to make Dembele an Arsenal player.
According to the report, Barcelona chiefs are fearing a situation similar to Arda Turan in the case of Ousmane Dembele and know well enough that no team is likely to pay anywhere near the reported €105 million that they shelled out in the summer.
In case they do decide to go after Griezmann when the transfer window reopens, they could take up Arsenal’s offer, despite the prospect of incurring a heavy loss, while the officials at Barcelona would want to negotiate with Arsenal in order to bring up the fee to an acceptable level.
At Arsenal too, this could pose a problem, with Wenger already having the likes of Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette at his disposal. But, there are rumours that Lacazette is likely to seek a summer exit from the club, with the star not able to earn the manager’s trust after a bumper move in the summer of 2017.
Thus, Lacazette’s potential departure would free up the spot for Dembele, who could take up the prospect of a reunion with Aubameyang and plying his trade at a club whose football is not too dissimilar to Barcelona. Arsenal are long-term admirers of the Frenchman, which could hand them an advantage in wooing Dembele over to England in the summer.
