"A bargain" – Manchester United urged to sign Barcelona superstar dubbed a 'potential wasted talent'

Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has urged his erstwhile club to rope in Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele this summer.

Dembele, 25, has been a crucial figure for Barcelona since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth up to £120 million in 2017. He has helped them lift a total of six trophies, including two La Liga titles.

An ambidextrous forward blessed with pace and dribbling, the 35-cap France star has been a standout performer in the Catalan giants' ongoing title push in the La Liga. So far, he has scored eight goals and laid out seven assists in 28 matches across all competitions this season.

Speaking to Betfred, Saha urged Manchester United to sign Dembele in the future, claiming the Frenchman would be a success. He said:

"They should explore it as it would be a bargain. I would want players who would be a guaranteed success for Manchester United and with Dembele, you're going to get both goals and assists. But for me, he hasn't reached his full potential and that's frustrating."

Sharing his thoughts on Dembele's untapped potential, Saha added:

"I see him as a potential wasted talent because the guy is so good and there's no other player like him. When you look at the likes of Jadon Sancho and Ousmane competing with each other, then that's magic competition. It would be a sensational frontline."

Dembele, who has a deal until June 2024 at Camp Nou, has registered 40 goals and 41 assists in 178 overall appearances for Barcelona.

Manchester United need to dish out over £88 million to sign Barcelona star: Reports

According to SPORT, Manchester United are desperate to rope in Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong in the upcoming summer transfer window and are willing to dish out a hefty sum. However, Barcelona are no longer keen to get the midfielder off their books due to his stellar performances of late.

Earlier last year, the Red Devils reached a deal worth up to £75 million for De Jong before the cancelation of the transfer. The La Liga club have now increased their valuation of the player to over £88 million in light of his rise in stature in Blaugrana manager Xavi Hernandez's plans.

De Jong, who arrived from Ajax for an initial £65 million in 2019, has started 28 games out of his 34 appearances in the ongoing campaign. So far, he has helped his club lift the Supercopa de Espana trophy.