Manchester United have precious little time to bring in a new forward before the transfer window closes.
The club’s pursuit of Jadon Sancho has been long-lasting, but having missed Borussia Dortmund’s 10 August deadline and reportedly seen a subsequent bid of €100m (£91.3m) rejected, United are also looking elsewhere – as i reported last month.
United had been interested in signing Gareth Bale on loan before the Welshman chose to return to Tottenham for the season from Real Madrid.
And with the 5 October deadline looming, which concerns transfers with European sides but not domestic deals between the Premier League and EFL clubs, United’s search has now seen them zero in on Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele as their preferred alternative, according to multiple outlets including The Guardian.
A loan deal for Dembele would allow United to come back in for Sancho next summer, and reports suggest Barça may be willing to accept the Premier League club’s advances as it could help the Spanish side in their pursuit of Lyon forward Memphis Depay.
This chain of transfers could be difficult to complete in time, but after acting late in the window it appears United will push to finalise a deal – for who exactly, that remains to be seen.
United fans are hoping it is Sancho holding up a red shirt by 5 October. If not him, then perhaps Dembele. If not him? Then Ivan Perisic, Douglas Costa or Ismaila Sarr are among the other names mentioned.
It could be a frantic few days at Carrington.
How Sancho and Dembele compare
Sancho is naturally the standout target for United given the 20-year-old is showing continuous signs of improvement in the Bundesliga with Dortmund.
A breakthrough 2018-19 campaign was followed by an even better 2019-20, where he recorded 17 goals and 16 assists in the league as Dortmund finished second behind Bayern Munich.
This saw him become just the fifth player after Lionel Messi, Eden Hazard, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez to record 15+ goals and 15+ assists in one season from Europe’s top five leagues – an esteemed list which indicates the direction Sancho is heading.
Sancho has begun this season with one goal and two assists in three games, although he missed the Super Cup match against Bayern due to an infection.
Meanwhile, Dembele, who left Dortmund to join Barça in 2017, missed the majority of last season with a hamstring injury, an issue which also saw him miss half of his first campaign at the Nou Camp in 2017-18.
These fitness problems have made it hard for Barça to rely on the Frenchman, and even in his most prolific campaign to date, 2018-19, he was only able to complete 90 minutes four times across all competitions – though he did manage 14 goals and eight assists in 42 games, 30 of which he started.
The early indications of this current season are that he will struggle to start regularly under Ronald Koeman.
Left winger Ansu Fati scored twice in their 4-0 win against Villarreal last week, with the 17-year-old proving he is ready to step-up after Luis Suarez’s departure saw Lionel Messi play centrally and Antoine Griezmann wide on the right.
With Depay being targeted as a possible addition, Barça may find Dembele is better off playing elsewhere for a season, which for the 23-year-old would be about staying injury-free and proving he can come back stronger.
Should Dembele go out on loan, to United or elsewhere, he can take solace from Philippe Coutinho’s spell at Bayern Munich, which impressed Barça to the point of bringing the Brazilian back to the first-team fold this season.
Ousmane Dembélé has now scored 17 first-team goals for club & country with his right foot.
He has 17 first-team assists for club & country with his left foot. pic.twitter.com/UJlUGjLUTl
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) August 25, 2018
Coutinho’s double against Barça in the humiliating 8-2 defeat in August no doubt had an impact, and for Dembele it is an indication that a temporary move away does not mean his career at the club is over.
Where Sancho and Dembele play
Sancho would offer United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer versatility, given he started 21 matches last season on the right wing, 11 on the left, and 12 in attacking midfield. He has played this AM role in their opening two league games this season as well.
Dembele is seldom used centrally but is capable of playing on both wings, having flitted between both flanks for Barça and France.
Being two-footed helps in that aspect. In 2018 Squawka noted he had scored 17 goals for club and country with his right foot while also recording 17 assists with his left. While at Rennes, he admitted to being left-footed but added he shoots better with his right.
Sancho certainly favours his right, scoring 14 league goals on that foot last season, and three with his left.
All 17 of those Bundesliga goals incidentally came inside the box, with Sancho showing a knack Raheem Sterling has also become known for at Manchester City – arriving at the right time inside the penalty area to finish off a team move.
That ability to bring goals as well as assists is ultimately what United are after, and it is what makes him a far more attractive prospect than Dembele, whose history of injury problems have seen him fail to live up to his early potential – so far, at least.
Sancho is on an upward trajectory and that is why Dortmund are seemingly not budging from their €120m asking price. That is what they believe their player is worth, a value that is arguably lower due to the coronavirus pandemic, especially given Dembele cost Barça an initial €105m plus €40m in add-ons three years ago.
Time is running out for United to meet those demands – executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward now has just days to make a decision that will have a bearing on the rest of their season and beyond.
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More on Man Utd
- The making of Marcus Rashford: the Man Utd star who never forgot his roots
- New leader: How Fernandes made an instant impact – and lifted all those around him
- Why United are prepared to play the long-game in pursuit of Sancho
- Kevin Garside: Well done to Chadwick for reminding us all to be kind
- 5 players Man Utd could sign this summer
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2SiqPRK
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