Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele is set to leave the club for free this summer after an agreement on a new contract could not be reached, with Manchester United and Chelsea among the teams monitoring his situation. According to reports: “Dembele’s stage at Barcelona is coming to a close. The latest offer has been rejected and the club doesn’t plan to make any more proposals”.
Ousmane Dembele Time With Barcelona Is Done Amid Manchester United and Chelsea Interest
Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona Contract Talks
Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona have been locked in contract negotiations for a long time.
Barcelona manager Xavi was highly motivated to keep the french winger at the club after his stellar second half of the 2021/22 campaign. Dembele put up solid numbers once he returned from injury and helped Barcelona finish in second place.
Read More: Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona Contract Talk Continue to Drag On
Dembele’s Most Likely Destination
Now that the ex-Borussia Dortmund star is freely available on the market, there will be plenty of clubs looking to sign him. One of those clubs will be Chelsea.
Manager Thomas Tuchel spent time with Dembele at Borussia Dortmund, helping him blow up and seal a move to Barcelona. Chelsea already has an abundance of attacking options but Dembele’s familiarity with Tuchel should help the London club feel confident about the signing.
The Frenchman will also want to reunite with his old manager who helped spark his growth. With a World Cup coming up in the middle of the season, Dembele will need to be fully fit and firing to make sure his name is called by the French national team.
Equally, Manchester United could also consider a move for the winger. With the likes of Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata, and Jesse Lingard leaving this summer, and Mason Greenwood having become unavailable, their attack looks rather thin on the ground, and Dembele could help provide some much-needed quality in the final third.
Watch: Manchester United star scores fantastic volley from the edge of the box
How Barcelona Can Cope
The Catalan club are set to lose a key piece of the puzzle for manager Xavi. Barcelona now have limited options up front with Dembele gone, and limited resources to fill those spots.
Ousmane Dembélé has turned over a new leaf this season, with fewer injuries, a better diet and overall regimentation & improving his on-pitch performance by building on his mental capabilities & using them with his already brilliant physical capabilities. https://t.co/FbmNOOHb6X pic.twitter.com/Bzp2Ab1YNh
— Breaking The Lines (@BTLvid) June 13, 2022
However, it does open up the possibility that La Masia graduates could get more playing time. Players coming up from the vaunted academy now have a clear pathway in the wide positions should they be given the opportunity.
