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Arsenal have held talks with Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele’s agent Moussa Sissoko over a possible transfer in the summer, according to El Chiringuito TV. The Barca winger is out of contract in June and is free to talk to interested parties.
Ousmane Dembele has been a controversial figure at Barcelona this season. He initially refused to sign an extension with the Blaugrana after Xavi’s side failed to meet his wage demands. When asked to leave in January, he reportedly (via Guardian) decided to stay put in Catalonia and run down the remaining six months on his contract.
Although many feared that Dembele would be reduced to being a bench-warmer at the Catalans, the Frenchman has been the catalyst behind Barcelona's recent resurgence. Xavi has used the 24-year-old generously in key matches. The winger, too, has repaid his manager’s faith by producing impressive performances.
Although Dembele seems content at Camp Nou at the moment, he is yet to sign an extension with Barca, which is encouraging news for his potential suitors. El Chiringuito TV has now claimed that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are one of the many big clubs interested in signing the former Borussia Dortmund man. The Gunners have already had a chat with the player’s agent, but details of the meeting have not yet been revealed.
Dembele joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund for €105 million plus a reported €40 million in add-ons in January 2017. The injury-prone Frenchman has so far played in only 139 games for the Catalan outfit, registering 32 goals and 30 assists.
Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele’s antics and injury record could make Arsenal wary
Since taking charge of Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has urged his players to put the team first. The Spaniard has a paper-thin tolerance for big egos and unprofessionalism, factors that contributed to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s contract termination.
If the Gunners are genuinely interested in Dembele, they must make sure to keep him on a tight leash to avoid the repetition of the Aubameyang debacle.
The Barca star has been slated (via Goal) for being addicted to gaming, for being late to training, and for having a knack for fast food. If he keeps this up at the Emirates, he could be in for a tough time under Arteta.
Then there is his injury record. Dembele has missed 100-plus games due to various injuries over the last four-and-a-half seasons at Barcelona. The north Londoners must think twice before bringing such an injury-prone player to such a physically demanding league.
