Liverpool links for Barcelona star grow amid loan-to-buy talk

Barcelona’s denials that they could sell Ousmane Dembele this summer appear to done little to dampen talk the player could be set to join for Liverpool this summer.

The France winger was brought to the recently-crowned La Liga champions last summer in a huge £135million deal from Borussia Dortmund.

However, the player has endured a disappointing season at the Nou Camp, with injury and a loss of his stellar Bundesliga form leading to claims he could be targeted by both Arsenal and Liverpool.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp gave a sarcastic reply when asked about reported interest in Dembele after Liverpool’s defeat by Chelsea, saying: “Is he on the market? Now I’m interested.”

However, Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu moved quickly to quash all talk of a summer exit.

“The option of selling him is not on the table. We are finishing the season and then there will be meetings,” he told Catalan radio station RAC 1 

“He’s an investment for the future. He is very young and we expect a lot from him.”

However, if supporters thought that was the end of the matter, a reliable transfer source in France has confirmed Liverpool’s interest in the player is genuine and the Reds have already contacted Barcelona with a fascinating proposal.

Speaking to SFR Sport on Monday evening, Mohamed Bouhafi claims Liverpool have asked Barcelona about a loan-to-buy option on the former Rennes star.

 

But while it’s claimed Barcelona could be opposed to the idea of selling Dembele, they could consider loaning him out for the season to further his progress and presumably should the Catalonian giants be successful in their pursuit of Antoine Griezmann. At that end, Barcelona have admitted to holding talks with the Atletico Madrid star.

Whatever happens with Dembele, it seems apparent that Klopp is keen to add some quality additions to his attacking options this summer. For all the success that Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane have enjoyed, there is a feeling that Liverpool lack quality back-up with the likes of Danny Ings and Dominic Solanke not on the same level.

Another reported Liverpool target, Gelson Martins, was on Monday said to prefer a move to Tottenham due to fears of the number of matches he would play at Anfield.

 

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