New rumors from Spain claim that Manchester United’s Anthony Martial and FC Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembélé are in talks to switch places.
Each club has acknowledged that Martial has requested to leave United, while Dembélé has so far refused to sign a new contract with Barcelona. Despite buying Manchester City’s Ferran Torres, Barça is still looking for a number nine after Sergio Aguero retired due to a heart problem last month.
The Catalans had been linked with another United player, Edinson Cavani, but Ralf Rangnick said yesterday that the Uruguayan would not be allowed to go. They are also said to be huge fans of Martial.
When United’s attempt to recruit Jadon Sancho failed, they were close to signing Dembélé in the summer of 2020, but the deal fell through at the last minute.
The 24-year old’s renewal offer from Barça includes a pay cut, which he was allegedly close to accepting. However, the incoming Torres’ fee, which is the same as his, has caused the Frenchman to doubt the club’s commitment to him.
Dembele’s agents have previously sacrificed their fee, but now want something comparable to the sums handed over to the incoming Spaniard’s representatives, according to Sport.
If, for a player with a lower market value than Ousmane (The Spaniard is worth €45 million and the Frenchman is worth €50 million),… Barça has the financial means to spend a lot of money… Why not extend the same courtesy to Ousmane?
As a result, they presented themselves at the last meeting, asking for a €30 million signing bonus, a €15 million agent commission, and an €80 million salary for the player. According to Barça, everything is crazy. According to the agents, anything reasonable.
This appears to be a deadlock, allowing the Martial links to make sense.
United would be free to put Martial in the January transfer window ahead of a potential summer sale because his contract continues until 2024. United will want to recoup as much of the €60 million they invested in 2015 for him as possible.
However, Dembélé’s poor injury record is a huge issue, and signing him on a permanent basis rather than on a loan would be a gamble for United at this point.
If Martial fails to impress on loan and find a transfer, they risk having both salaries returned to them in June.
On the other side, if all goes right, they could be able to get a player who would have cost Barça €135 million for a fraction of that price.
The swap of two players with combined purchase costs of €195 million is an attractive deal, and despite its complexity, it may be a deal that benefits all parties involved.
