Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac has confirmed that the German champions are hoping to sign French superstar Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona.
It is no secret that Bayern Munich are on the lookout for additions to their attacking department ahead of the upcoming season. The Bavarian giants have made the signing of a new winger their top priority and manager Niko Kovac has now confirmed that the club are looking at Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele to strengthen their ranks, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Bayern Munich lost two of their stalwarts in Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery after the 2018-19 campaign, with the former calling an end to his illustrious career, while the latter decided to move on upon the expiry of his contract. And with James Rodriguez also returning to Real Madrid upon the completion of his loan spell, the Bundesliga champions have been weakened in the final third.
Bayern have quality options in the wide areas, with Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, while the young Alphonso Davies is also likely to play a more prominent role next season. But, given that they will want to compete for trophies on multiple fronts, Die Roten will need to add further quality to their attacking department.
Bayern Munich had been heavily linked with a move for Manchester City’s Leroy Sane, but have recently turned their sights towards Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele. The report from the Daily Mail claims that the Bavarian giants had already made a £62 million bid for the Frenchman, which was knocked back by Barcelona.
However, manager Kovac hopes of getting his target this summer, as Barcelona are reportedly planning to bring back Brazilian superstar Neymar from PSG. Speaking in a recent interview, the Bayern boss said: “Dembele is a great player. If Barca finally bring Neymar back from PSG, it could increase the possibility of reaching an agreement for Dembele.”
Dembele joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich’s title rivals Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017 for a then club-record fee, following the departure of Neymar to PSG. But, he struggled to make the desired impact in his debut campaign, with constant injury woes hampering him.
The 2018-19 season saw Dembele express himself much better than the previous term, as he established himself as a key member in Ernesto Valverde’s side. He ended with a return of 14 goals and 9 assists from 42 matches, although he did miss a good chunk of games in the second half of the season with injuries.
However, with Barcelona set to sign Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid in the coming days and with Neymar’s potential return also looming, the Catalans will need to balance their books, which might lead them to cashing in on Dembele.
The 22-year-old has the quality to be an excellent addition to the Bayern Munich attack, but it remains to be seen if the Bundesliga champions will be able to convince Barcelona to part with the World Cup winner this summer.
