'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Serie A Champions Juventus are now favourites to secure the signature of Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele, according to reports. The Frenchman was close to a move to Manchester United in the summer with Barcelona preparing to sign Memphis Depay as his replacement.
However, Dembele backed away from the move at the final moment, infuriating Barcelona and ultimately putting him in troubled waters with the Catalans.
The Frenchman was brought to Camp Nou by Barcelona in the summer of 2017 as a direct replacement for Neymar.
However, injuries and lack of form have hampered his stay. Barcelona have apparently run out of patience and after failing to offload him this summer, will be trying to do so again in January. While it was previously believed that Manchester United would be interested again, a new player has joined the fray of late – Juventus.
Dembele’s eventual transfer to Juventus could work in Barcelona’s favour
The Serie A champions have been making some smart buys of late and also have a certain Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks. Juventus added Federico Chiesa to their kitty over the summer and are now interested in bringing the Frenchman to Turin.
But the Bianconeri are not the only club monitoring the Barcelona superstar. Along with United, former club Borussia Dortmund are also eyeing Dembele as the replacement for Jadon Sancho, who, ironically could be United-bound in the near future. However, Juventus remain the firm favourites in the race as of now.
New Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman reportedly does not see Dembele fitting into his plans and if the Frenchman fails to impress the manager between now and the end of the year, Juventus might get their hands on him by January.
The Serie A champions are bolstering their squad as they aim to address their recent poor record in the UEFA Champions League. The addition of Dembele will certainly make Juventus a strong contender for the premier European club competition.
The Frenchman is still only 23 years old and was one of the hottest properties of football during his time in Germany with Dortmund, which had prompted Barcelona to invest a fortune in the player.
Dembele has played just 74 games for Barcelona over a space of 3 years and found the back of the net 19 times in all competitions. Juventus will be wary of his injury history, but there’s no denying that the Frenchman still has a lot to offer on the pitch.
If Juventus can eventually prize the Barcelona ace away from the Camp Nou, and also manage to keep him fit, they will certainly become a force to reckon with in Europe. And Dembele’s departure will work in the favour of Barcelona too as it will pave the way for Depay to make his entry into Koeman’s squad.
