Manchester United Rumors: Red Devils Reconsidering Move For Jadon Sancho Alternative

Manchester United is keen on making another attempt to close a deal with Barcelona for Ousmane Dembele.

This past summer, Dembele was identified by Manchester United as a suitable alternative for Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho.

The long courtship with the Bundesliga rising star ended up with nothing and the Red Devils didn’t land Dembele either.

However, Manchester United has reconsidered a move for Dembele and has now “positioned themselves” to make a concrete bid to either loan or permanently sign the Barca star, Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo reported.

The report further noted that Dembele’s representatives have already made contact with the English Premier League side.

Despite being tagged as a “valuable” player for Barcelona, the Spanish newspaper revealed that a fee in the region of £55 million ($74 million) might be enough to lure the Catalans.

Dembele’s current contract with Barca is set to expire in 2022, and it is believed that the forward is not rushing things up regarding his possible exit.

This has given Barcelona the upper hand to leverage a lucrative deal for Dembele in the coming year, the report added.

One major setback Barcelona has been dealing with is Demebele’s fitness. The 23-year-old has dealt with recurring injuries since joining the La Liga side in 2017.

To put this into context, Dembele has made 87 appearances for the Catalans across all competitions and has missed a total of 86 games due to injuries in a span of three years.

However, the former Dortmund star is slowly getting back on track as he has become healthier this season, having played 12 matches for Barcelona compared to just nine appearances last season.

On Tuesday, Barcelona manager Koeman decided to call up Dembele against Eibar. The forward left a lasting impression by scoring a crucial equalizer at the 67th minute to force a draw.

Despite Dembele being linked to transfer rumors, Koeman is yet to disclose who would be exiting Camp Nou in the coming windows.

However, the manager hinted at the possibility of extending the contracts of a few “youngsters.”

“It’s about being ready, being prepared,” Koeman told reporters of Barcelona transfers Monday. “If there’s something that we like or if there is an opportunity for a youngster to play half a year at another club we’ll talk about that. Each player makes a decision but we will offer advice. We have to be ready and I hope one week will be enough to make those decisions.”