What’s the story?
Barcelona are planning a squad overhaul this summer, and the club are in talks with a number of players. The Catalan side are said to be keen on getting all the targets Valverde wants and are willing to break the bank for it.
One such target is Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele. Mundo Deportivo are reporting that Barcelona’s technical director, Robert Fernandez held talks with the player's agent in Paris.
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This is not the first time Barcelona are trying to sign Dembele. The Spanish giants were interested in signing him last summer as well. But the player opted not to join them as he was 'too young' for them.
Dembele confirmed that he held talks with Barcelona last summer in a recent interview. "Last year I had contact with the Barcelona sports director," said the 20-year-old.
Dortmund eventually signed Dembele from Rennes for a reported fee of €15 million. The forward has been in fine form ever since and has caught the attention of several clubs around Europe.
The heart of the matter
Ernesto Valverde has named Ousmane Dembele as one of his primary targets for the summer, and the club are now trying to negotiate a move. They are holding talks with the player's agent before making an official offer according to Mundo Deportivo.
Barcelona's technical director is leading the way and has already spoken with the player's agent, Mousa Sissoko. The agent has given a 'green signal' to the move and has assured that the move will take place once the fee is agreed.
Borussia Dortmund are not willing to let go of him but are willing to hold talks if the player confirms his desire to move. The German side value him at €90 million and are not prepared to lower their asking price.
Barcelona meanwhile were preparing a €60 million offer for him. The first official bid is yet to be made according to the report.
What’s next?
Barcelona and Dortmund will hold talks and discuss the fee for the player. Should they agree on a fee, they will then move on to talk about the payment scheme.
Author’s Take
Dembele has spoken about his interest in joining Barcelona for quite some time now, and it's only a matter of when and for how much. The player will be joining the Catalan side for sure, and it is something even Dortmund can't run away from.
