Barcelona star responds after Liverpool expression of interest

Liverpool have made a decisive charge to acquire Barcelona’s star forward Ousmane Dembélé ahead of the new season with the playmaker subsequently responding to his suitors by making known his intention to stay and fight for his place at Camp Nou, according to reports.

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The Frenchman, however, has been slow to shine following his £135.5 million (R2.9 billion) price accrual since moving to Barça in August 2017; enduring a frustrating season in form, coupled with contending with recurring injury niggles. Dembélé has previously been linked with a move to Serie A after Juventus made a play to sign the World Cup winner in a swap deal for midfielder, Miralem Pjanić, as Barcelona attempt to recover from the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis.

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Liverpool have expressed interest in Ousmane Dembélé, who is stone-walled about his plans to leave the Camp Nou for England, at this stage (Image: Sourced).

Liverpool have thus reignited their long-standing interest in the 23-year-old and view him as a better value target than RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner, who cuts it as a potential transfer target on either side. According to Sky Sport Italia, Liverpool approached both Barcelona and the player’s camp over a season-long loan with an option to buy. However, Dembélé, who has only played five times for Barca in La Liga this season, is reported to have no desire to leave the Blaugrana en route to rebuffing Liverpool’s interest, as well as that of Juventus.

At the same time, reports suggest that the new man in charge at Camp Nou, Quique Setién, is prepared to give Dembélé a chance to redeem himself even though the Catalan side are overloaded with attacking options and need to offload some players. Juventus have also tried to get midfielder Arthur as part of the deal for Pjanić, while Dembele’s insistence on staying will increase the likelihood of Philippe Coutinho heading for the exit door.