Premier League heavyweights Arsenal have reportedly initiated talks with Barcelona contract rebel Ousmane Dembele over a summer move.
According to Spanish outlet El Chiringuito TV, Ousmane Dembele is the subject of interest from Arsenal over a possible Bosman move in the summer transfer window. The Barcelona contract rebel’s agent, Moussa Sissoko, has met with the Gunners to discuss a potential deal.
Ousmane Dembele has thus far been a classic case of “What could have been” at Barcelona. The French international joined the Blaugrana from Borussia Dortmund in August 2017. Je was supposed to be the long-term successor for Neymar, who shockingly left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record transfer.
But injuries and inconsistencies have been Dembele’s undoing at Barcelona. And the 24-year-old reached his lowest ebb as a Barcelona player earlier this year, as it emerged that he and Barcelona had reached a point of no return in contract renewal talks. Dembele subsequently became the subject of widespread speculation as the January transfer deadline approached, but a winter exit did not materialise.
Supporters then hurled jeers at him in his first appearance after the end of the January saga, although he has since won them over with sensational performances. Dembele has amassed one goal and seven assists in his last six La Liga outings, prompting Barcelona to re-consider rescinding the contract renewal offer. But the player’s future remains uncertain, with Arsenal hot on his trail.
Arsenal had shown interest in Dembele in the January transfer window, but the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner did not wish to move to the Emirates. Since then, things have changed, with Arsenal the favourites to clinch the final top-four spot in the Premier League.
With a return to the UEFA Champions League likely, the north Londoners will fancy their chances of snapping up their key targets, Dembele being one of them. And the Barcelona contract rebel’s agent, Moussa Sissoko, recently met with Arsenal to discuss a potential deal over a Bosman move.
Barcelona will like to tie Dembele down to a new contract, but the player has demanded a hefty pay package to commit his long-term future to the Blaugrana. That could leave the ball in Arsenal’s court, although it is unclear if the Gunners are open to meeting his wage demands.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta recent commented on Dembele’s contract situation, stating that Dembele knows the club’s offer. But if the two parties remain at odds over the terms of the renewal, Arsenal and other suitors will be in contention to prise him away from Camp Nou on a Bosman move.