Barcelona are reportedly willing to offer Ousmane Dembele to Manchester City in a deal for Ferran Torres in the January transfer window.
According to a report from El Nacional, Barcelona are ready to part ways with Ousmane Dembele in an attempt to sign Ferran Torres from Manchester City in the upcoming transfer window.
Barcelona have made Torres their priority signing for January as manager Xavi Hernandez remains keen on adding more quality attacking options to the squad. While youngsters Abde Ezzalzouli and Ferran Jutgla have done fairly well after being called up from the B team, the 41-year-old tactician hopes to sign a versatile and top-quality forward who can make an instant difference.
Thus, Torres has been identified as a top target given his know-how of La Liga football and his ability to play anywhere in the attacking third. Furthermore, the fact that the 21-year-old is familiar with the style of play employed byPep Guardiola and Luis Enrique works in his favour as Xavi wants his Barcelona side to play in a similar fashion.
However, Manchester City are unwilling to let go of their star man, who has scored 16 goals since joining the club last year from Valencia. They want a sizable sum for the Spanish international, which is proving to be tricky for Barcelona given their financial woes. As a result, according to the report, Ousmane Dembele could enter the equation as the Blaugrana look to drive down the asking price for Torres.
Dembele has been with Barcelona for four years now but has failed to establish himself in the side, with fitness issues plaguing him constantly. With the Frenchman entering the final year of his contract this summer, the Catalans are trying to convince him to sign a new deal, but progress has been too slow.
Starting January, Dembele will be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement over a free transfer with clubs from abroad, leaving Barcelona staring at the risk of losing him for nothing. So, if a decision on his contract extension is not made in the next few weeks, it is being claimed that the Blaugrana will try and use him as a potential makeweight in the deal for Torres.
However, Manchester City might not be willing to enter such an arrangement, given Dembele’s injury history and disciplinary issues. But, there have been reports of a part-exchange deal involving Sergino Dest, which the Premier League champions could entertain. It remains to be seen if Barcelona are successful in their endeavours to land Torres or are forced to look at other options.
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