Liverpool given chance to hijack Paris Saint-Germain move for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele - reports
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Updated 01/06/2022 at 10:00 GMT
Reports in Spain suggest that Paris Saint-Germain's proposed swoop for free transfer Ousmane Dembele could have hit an impasse with the arrival of Luis Campos as the club's new head of transfer strategy. That could give Liverpool the chance to sign the French international winger, with Sadio Mane set to leave.
Ousmane Dembélé
Image credit: Getty Images
Liverpool have a chance to hijack Paris Saint-Germain’s proposed move for Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele, according to reports.
The 25-year-old French international is out of contract after coming to the end of his deal with the Catalans, and he had been expected to leave the club back in the January transfer window after initially being frozen out of the first team due to the impasse in contract negotiations.
Sport reports that PSG’s move for the winger has been held up due to the protracted handover between the outgoing Leonardo and prospective transfer boss Luis Campos, which gives Liverpool the chance to make their move.
Liverpool lost the Champions League on Saturday night to Real Madrid and after that disappointment another soon followed, with Senegalese striker Sadio Mane believed to be keen on a move away from Anfield, with Real and Bayern Munich both rumoured as potential suitors.
That would free up a space in Liverpool’s squad for another attacker, and Dembele could fulfil that role for Jurgen Klopp. With Mohamed Salah also potentially due to depart in 2023 on a free transfer, the fact that the French forward could be signed for no transfer fee might appeal.
OUR VIEW: DEMBELE RUNNING OUT OF CHANCES
Martin Mosnier of Eurosport France, believes that Liverpool may have an advantage as Campos could refuse the chance to sign Dembele. Dembele’s time at Barcelona was marked both by recurrent injury problems, but also accusations of a lack of professionalism.
“For Luis Campos, Ousmane Dembele is not reliable enough to become a PSG player (too many injuries, a partying lifestyle),” Mosnier explained. “Campos prefers dedicated players and he sees Dembele as a risky signing."
However he does not believe that Dembele needs to be concerned over whether he ends up at Liverpool, PSG or even Chelsea for the sake of his career, because his fate rests in his hands.
Of Dembele’s chances of qualifying for Didier Deschamps’ World Cup squad, he said: “PSG, Liverpool, Chelsea: it doesn't matter.
“His problem: today, Deschamps likes him a lot but trusts new players more ([Christopher] Nkunku for example). Now the French team, which plays in 5-2-3, needs wingers like Dembele much less.
“Dembele would have to be amazing at his new club to successfully convince Deschamps. But it only depends on him, not on the club where he will sign.”
While Dembele had been linked with a contract renewal, Eurosport Spain’s Adrian Garcia believes that he has little chance of succeeding in Spain.
“About Dembele, it is very difficult to believe in him,” he observed. “Xavi Hernandez and Barça chairman, Joan Laporta, want to renew his contract, but almost 100% of Barça fans are absolutely against the French player.
“Of course he has potential, but Barça style demands another kind of player.”
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