Catalan media outlet ARA have come out with reports that claim Manchester United and Barcelona are exploring a swap deal for Anthony Martial and Ousmane Dembele.
Martial has expressed his desire to leave United in recent weeks after a lack of playing time in the last 18 months. His contract at Old Trafford still runs till 2023, but it remains to be seen if he will ever get back into the club’s plans.
United blocked one of Martial’s exit paths in December when they turned down a loan offer from Sevilla, who were only willing to pay a part of the player’s huge wages.
Dembele, on the other hand, has his contract expiring at the end of the season and is making life difficult for Barcelona who are trying everything they can to renew his contract according to manager Xavi Hernandez’s wishes.
The reports now claim that Barcelona, who have grown tired and frustrated with Dembele’s antics concerning his renewal, are willing to help offer Martial a way out of United.
Barcelona, in a move that can only be described as weird, now wants to bring in Martial on a six-month loan and send Dembele the other way.
Barcelona looking for way out of Dembele situation
It has been reported that Dembele is demanding an outrageous €40 million per year salary alongside a signing-on bonus of €20 million to stay at the club.
He has missed over a hundred games since signing for Barcelona in 2017 but is still highly rated by the club.
However, with the signing of Ferran Torres and Dani Alves needing to be registered, Barcelona will have to free up space in their wage structure. Dembele’s standoff has reportedly made it easy for the Catalan club to decide to part ways with him.
Rangnick: Martial’s exit must benefit the club
Manchester United have long been admirers of Dembele and have inquired about the 24-year-old in the past. The signing of Sancho makes a deal complicated but rumours in the past few weeks suggest that Dembele is still wanted at Old Trafford.
Martial hasn’t played under Rangnick who confirmed that the striker’s absence is not due to injury.
The German manager said in a press conference about the striker’s wish to leave: “But it’s a question not only of what he wants to do but a question of which kind of clubs are interested in him and do they meet the demands of the club, so we have to wait and see.”
