Manchester City keeping tabs on Barcelona contract rebel
As speculation of a departure for Raheem Sterling continues to dominate the headlines due to his desire to move abroad for a different experience and regular game time, Manchester City appear to have started chalking out potential replacements.
Raheem Sterling, 26, lost his place in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI at the back end of last season. The big-money summer signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa has limited his game time this term, with the England international starting just three Premier League games to date.
Related Story. Manchester City demand winger in exchange for Sterling. light
Barcelona are the latest club to show interest in Sterling and there are chances of him departing the Etihad Stadium in January. And surprisingly, English champions Manchester City could poach one of Barcelona’s stars to potentially replace Sterling next year.
As reported by French outlet Foot Mercato, Manchester City are interested in Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, whose contract situation is causing ‘headaches’ at Camp Nou.
Ousmane Dembele, 24, has failed to meet the lofty expectations of Barcelona and the fans alike after joining Borussia Dortmund in 2017 as a replacement for Neymar, with injuries and inconsistency problems playing a big role in holding him back. As a result, he has managed only 81 La Liga games in four years at Camp Nou.
Keeping Dembele’s injury problems in mind, Barcelona President Joan Laporta has offered a new contract below his current €10m a year package, which the player and his agent have failed to respond to yet.
The French international has a contract with the Spanish club until next summer and has already started looking for a new club, with newly-minted Newcastle United interested in his signature.
Next. Manchester City intensity their pursuit of Bundesliga powerhouse. dark
Foot Mercato claims Dembele’s entourage is already in talks with Newcastle United regarding a five-year deal worth €15m a year, but the North East Premier League club aren’t the only interested outfit, with the 24-year-old winger also ‘appeals’ to Manchester City.
However, if the Magpies, currently 19th on the table, get relegated from the Premier League, a move to St James’ Park is subsequently chalked off, the report adds.
Manchester City may be genuinely interested in Dembele but doubt they’ll hand a player with fitness and injury concerns a lucrative €15m a year package, even though he’ll potentially cost nothing next summer.