According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, Liverpool are eyeing a swoop for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele as a potential alternative to main striking target Timo Werner – with the Frenchman appearing ‘strongly‘ as a candidate.
Indeed, as per this report, the Reds and Jurgen Klopp in particular are fond of the player and could very well pinpoint him as a main target if we fail to sign Werner this summer.
Although the German striker’s £52 million release clause could be triggered by June 15, with Klopp even hosting a video call, recent reports suggest the club have been haggling over his price tag – with Dembele now appearing as an alternative option.
The 23-year-old, despite suffering an injury-ridden campaign this season, did manage to amass some impressive numbers over 2018/2019 – making 20 La Liga starts for the Catalans whilst bagging eight goals and five assists.
Should Liverpool sign Dembele?
Yes, especially for £37 million
No, far too injury prone
In that time, as well as winning three Man of the Match awards, Dembele averaged more successful dribble attempts than the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah this campaign – he was also dispossessed less times overall according to WhoScored.
These numbers could be an indication that Dembele would be a good option when fully fit, especially taking into account his allegedly slashed price tag.
The Daily Mail have claimed that his valuation has dropped to £37 million, which is under a third of the amount Barcelona originally paid to sign him (£130 million).
Given the fact he has also been labelled a ‘phenomenon’ by none other than Lionel Messi, despite his woeful recent fitness record, taking a gamble on the winger with his reduced price could well pay off.