Five realistic replacements for Ousmane Dembele

Borussia Dortmund bought Ousmane Dembele just last summer from Rennes, but it looks like they’re going to have to offload the Frenchman already, with Barcelona heavily interested in the talented youngster.

Although Dortmund would ideally like to keep Dembele, the player will want to move to Barcelona, and they will still receive over £100 million for the 20-year-old. This will mean at least £85 million profit on a player they only bought last summer, and plenty of money to re-invest.

Here we look at five possible replacements for Dembele, should the deal to Barcelona go through:

#5 Emre Mor

Look no further than the bench. Emre Mor could be a solid replacement for Dembele. The young Turkish international is a very talented 20-year-old and could certainly replace the Frenchman in attacking midfield.

Mor moved to Dortmund just a year ago but spent most of his time on the bench. This is not due to him not being good enough, but more because of his inexperience at the highest level. He’s only 20 years old, but with Dembele very likely to leave, it may be Mor’s time to step up.

In his brief appearances for Dortmund, Mor has shown what he is capable of. He’s very small, but his balance, strength and trickery make him extremely hard to deal with. With Dortmund's new coach Peter Bosz placing an emphasis on youth development, it will be no surprise to see him give Mor the chance to play week in week out.

#4 Riyad Mahrez

If Mahrez can replicate his form from two seasons ago he would be a fantastic replacement for Dembele

Dortmund are a team who place an emphasis on giving young players chances, but with money available, they may have to look for a slightly older player, with one option being Riyad Mahrez.

The Leicester City winger was excellent throughout the 2015/16 season, but his form certainly dropped off last season. If he can return to his form of two seasons ago, he would be a handy signing indeed.

It’s clear Leicester would be willing to sell the Algerian, if his valuation is met. Dortmund have the funds available, but it all depends on Bosz and whether he thinks Mahrez will improve the side.

Leicester are demanding a lot of money, over £50 million, but in the current market, it wouldn’t be a bad deal considering the money they will receive from Barcelona for Dembele.

#3 Thomas Lemar

Could Dortmund snatch the Frenchman from under Arsenal's nose?

Arsenal have been desperately chasing the signature of Thomas Lemar all transfer window, but could Dortmund snatch the Frenchman from under their nose? It’s a possibility with them having almost unlimited funds to spend on a replacement.

Lemar is not necessarily a direct replacement for Dembele, but his ball control and dribbling skills are almost as good. Lemar is another extremely talented young Frenchman and would be a great addition for Dortmund given their emphasis on giving opportunities to young players.

They would have to spend over £50 million on the Frenchman, but with the potential he has, the deal would certainly be worth it. Lemar will be disappointed if he is still a Monaco player at the end of this window. If Dortmund do choose to pursue him, he may push for the move like he did with Arsenal.

#2 Maxwel Cornet

Cornet is reportedly Dortmund's preferred replacement

Maxwel Cornet, who is valued at around 20 million euros, is rumoured to be Dortmund’s first choice replacement for Dembele, according to Kicker.

Only spending 20 million would leave them with a lot of money in hand, which they might decide to use to strengthen other positions.

Cornet is a 20-year-old Ivorian who played an important role for French club Lyon for the past two seasons. He played 33 and 31 games in the two previous campaigns, scoring 14 goals along the way.

Cornet is highly rated in France. At Dortmund, he will only get better, especially under a coach who prides himself on breeding young players. Bosz must realise the potential Cornet has and the player he could become, similar to what Thomas Tuchel did with Dembele.

#1 Kingsley Coman

Could Dortmund take an unwanted player off Bayern Munich's hands?

Kingsley Coman signed for Bayern Munich after they exercised the option to buy him following his two-season loan spell. Considering it was just €28 million altogether including his loan fees, Bayern just couldn't resist signing him up.

However, it looks like they have not bought him to improve their side, but to sell him for a bigger price. Arsenal are rumoured to be interested in him, but Dortmund could go for the Frenchman as a replacement for Dembele.

Many may feel that it could be difficult for Dortmund to sign a Bayern player, but considering Dortmund have sold Bayern Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Mats Hummels, Bayern might be willing to do business with their German counterparts.

Coman would be a fantastic addition to Dortmund, and it would please the fans to see them buy a player from their arch rivals to potentially improve their team.

It’s yet to be seen whether the Dembele move will even go through, but any of the listed players would be ideal replacements.