European giants Barcelona have reportedly began contract renewal talks with Ousmane Dembele despite the attacker emerging as a transfer target for Manchester United during the summer.
Dembele, 23, joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 in a transfer which cost the Catalonian side a whopping £117m, as per Transfermarkt.
Since the French attacker’s arrival in Spain, he has featured in a total of 84 matches and has been directly involved in 39 goals in all competitions.
Despite his eye-watering price-tag, Dembele has struggled to find consistency since joining the La Liga outfit three-years ago.
Shockingly, Barcelona’s 23-year-old emerged as a surprise summer target for United after leading journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed the Reds’ hierarchy were in the process of thrashing out talks for a loan deal.
Sancho deal between Manchester United and BVB is still at the same point, right now. BVB always asked for €120m or nothing – it’s up to #MUFC.
One of the backup options is Ousmane Démbélé – Man Utd are negotiating with Barça, offering a loan and trying to convince the player. 🔴— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 1, 2020
However, despite the strong links during the summer transfer window, Dembele’s switch to Old Trafford failed to materialise, forcing the Frenchman to fight for his place under new manager Ronald Koeman.
The latest in the ongoing-saga comes from ESPN, who claim that in light of his failed summer move, Barcelona have now opened contract talks with their star winger.
ESPN’s report claims that Barcelona are aware of United’s continued interest in their Frenchman and in an attempt to fend off the Premier League giants, Koeman and co. are keen to tie Dembele down beyond his current 2022 contract.
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