Barcelona are reportedly willing to throw in Ousmane Dembele as a makeweight to sign Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen from Tottenham Hotspur.
Reigning La Liga champions Barcelona are set to step up their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur superstar Christian Eriksen, by offering Ousmane Dembele as part of a sensational swap deal, according to a report from Spanish publication Don Balon.
Eriksen has established himself as one of the finest playmakers across Europe in recent years, with consistent, top-quality performances for club and country.
The 26-year-old has been with Tottenham for five years now, having joined from Ajax in 2013, and has racked up 239 appearances, scoring 57 times and registering 73 assists in the process. He has been equally effective on the international stages as well, netting 25 goals in 83 matches for Denmark.
Barcelona have been eyeing Eriksen for quite some time now, having earmarked him as a long-term replacement for the legendary Andres Iniesta, who left the club this past summer.
While the Catalans did strengthen their midfield with the signings of Arthur Melo and Arturo Vidal, they still remain intent on bringing Eriksen to Camp Nou. And to that end, Barca are prepared to test Tottenham’s resolve in the January transfer window, by offering Dembele to the North London outfit in a swap deal.
Dembele arrived at Camp Nou last year from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth over €100 million as they sought to replace Neymar. But, a year into his spell in Spain the Frenchman has struggled to make a strong impression at the club. So far in his stint with the Blaugrana, the 21-year-old has made 38 appearances, scoring and assisting 10 goals apiece.
Moreover, Barcelona are believed to have grown frustrated with Dembele’s casual attitude and unprofessional behaviour and are looking to cut their losses on the World Cup winner, by offloading him in the January window. Having brought in Malcom in the summer transfer window, Barcelona have a readymade replacement for the French attacker.
Tottenham have been in the market for a new addition to the wide areas for a while now. In fact, the North Londoners were chasing Malcom throughout the summer, but were beaten to his signing by the Catalans. Mauricio Pochettino’s men were reported to be planning a swoop for the Brazilian in January as well, but could be open to the possibility of signing Dembele.
The 21-year-old, despite his issues at Barcelona, remains a supremely gifted talent with plenty of top level experience at a very young age. His signing would add that missing X-factor to the Tottenham attack, that Pochettino has been searching for a while now.
However, given how vital a cog Eriksen is in the manager’s plans, it is highly unlikely that the Lilywhites would be willing to part with the Danish superstar midway through the season. As enticing as it sounds, the Dembele-Eriksen swap deal between Barcelona and Tottenham seems like a distant possibility.
