Liverpool are battling Chelsea over a deal to sign Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele on a free transfer this summer, as per a report from Sport.
The Reds are attentive to the Frenchman’s contract situation at Camp Nou. Since arriving for a huge fee in 2017, Dembele has only managed 150 appearances for his club due to a number of injury issues.
Now, his current contract expires on July 1 and he is yet to agree terms over a new deal despite holding extensive talks with the Catalans since last winter.
The situation has alerted a number of clubs throughout Europe with Chelsea among those heavily linked. The Blues are reportedly keen to lure Dembele to west London as Thomas Tuchel looks to revamp his attack this summer.
However, Sport claims that Liverpool also ‘want to sign’ Dembele while Chelsea face further competition from Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Barcelona.
Now, as per the printed version of Sport, Liverpool have made an offer to Dembele. The think tank at Anfield believes that the 25-year-old can be the eventual replacement for Mohamed Salah.
Salah, 30, is in the final year of his contract and is yet to agree terms over an extension. It’s believed that the Egyptian wants a weekly wage of £400,000 but the Reds do not want to break their wage structure.
Dembele currently earns around £200,000/week at Barcelona and Liverpool’s offer is said to be higher.
The perfect option for Jurgen Klopp?
There is no hiding from the fact that Dembele is a hugely talented player. He is almost unbeatable in 1v1 situations and is highly unpredictable.
Last season, he managed 13 assists in La Liga and finished on top of the assist tally. He likes to cut in but his unpredictability makes him even more dangerous. The 2018 World Cup winner is quick and is comfortable using both feet.
When it comes to natural talent, one can only assume that Dembele is bound for greatness. For someone who is yet to enter his prime, to sign him on a Bosman would be an excellent piece of business for Liverpool or Chelsea. But, at what cost?
Dembele’s injury issues are well-known. Though this past season has been an improvement over his previous ones (fitness-wise), it’s only natural to assume that he would struggle in England, with the high degree of physicality involved.
If he managed to stay fit, Dembele could be a shrewd signing for Liverpool or Chelsea but the injury issues make him a risk. Let’s see how things play out over the coming days as it’s going to be interesting to see where he ends up….
