Manchester United ready to pay £25 million fee for World Cup winner

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 09: The Manchester United club badge on a corner flag during the FA Cup Third Round match between Manchester United and Watford on January 9, 2021 in Manchester, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Visionhaus)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 09: The Manchester United club badge on a corner flag during the FA Cup Third Round match between Manchester United and Watford on January 9, 2021 in Manchester, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Visionhaus)

Manchester United enjoyed a tremendous summer transfer window. They managed to sign superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, while also keeping the core of their squad together. The Red Devils had finished second in the Premier League last season and as a result, many expected them to mount a title challenge this time around. It is safe to say it has not quite gone like that.

Manchester United have struggled till now in domestic competition, although they have impressed in the Champions League. At this point, it looks like the Red Devils will have to improve significantly, if they are to finish in the top four of the Premier League this season.

As a result, the club might need to improve their squad further and they have been linked with several players recently. One of them is Ousmane Dembele, whose current deal with Barcelona runs out next summer.

As reported by Corriere dello Sport (via Manchester Evening News), negotiations have started between the two clubs and Manchester United are prepared to pay a transfer fee around €30 million (£25 million) to bring Dembele to Old Trafford.

Manchester United ready to pay £25 million transfer fee for Dembele

Once considered one of the biggest talents in world football, things have not gone Dembele’s way since joining Barcelona.

He was signed by the club after Neymar left for Paris Saint-Germain. At that point, the expectation was that he would go on to become one of the best players in the world in the future. And while Dembele has shown glimpses of his ability from time to time, a series of injuries have meant that his development has stalled.

Thus, if Manchester United were able to sign the French World Cup winner, it would be interesting to say the least. There is very little doubt about his potential but there would be big question marks about whether he could cope with the physical nature of the Premier League.