Dembélé: Madrid to offer players to Dortmund as part of deal
Sevilla - Barcelona: Copa del Rey quarter-final
Ousmane Dembélé has the two giants of Spanish football chasing his signature following a fine debut season with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
Barcelona chase Dembélé
Barça have identified the French winger as a replacement for Neymar, who has joined PSG in a world-record move. On Thursday, Dembélé did not show up to training with the Bundesliga club, who rejected an initial bid from Barcelona the same day.
Unperturbed and with full pockets, Barcelona are expected to return with an improved bid of €140m.
Real Madrid offer players to Dortmund
Yet Real Madrid are also eager to acquire the 20-year-old’s services. According to journalist Gerard Romero on the RAC-1 radio station, Madrid are willing to offer players to Dortmund as part of a deal to bring Dembélé to the Bernabéu. The Catalan radio station states that the player would favour a move to Barcelona, as well as revealing a request that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez made to his counter-part at Dortmund, Rainhard Reuball: “Before you sell him [Dembélé], tell me how much for”. The two club presidents enjoy a firm relationship.
Barça, meanwhile, are pursuing simultaneous targets. The Azulgrana have managed to convince Philippe Coutinho to hand in a transfer request at Liverpool, but the club maintain that he will not be sold.
