The Dembele links to Man Utd make no sense at all

Stefan Bienkowski

• 2 Nov 2021 16:08 GMT
• 5 min read

Manchester United are often linked with a number of players ahead of every transfer window, but no single story is so relentless and unexplainable than the one linking the club with Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele.

The 24-year-old’s contract at Barca is set to expire at the end of the season, which means Dembele will likely be able to speak to a number of clubs about offers if he doesn’t sign an extension before the end of the year.

However, while it may not seem that odd to consider Man Utd being interested in one of Barca’s star players, this rumour makes absolutely no sense on paper. Allow us to explain why.

They already have enough wingers

After the signing of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in the summer transfer window, most Man Utd fans would happily confirm that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has more than enough wingers to pick from in his squad.

In fact, some may argue that the Old Trafford club have too many. Despite selling Daniel James to Leeds in the summer, Man Utd still have Amad Diallo, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Sancho to play just two positions.

The prospect of Dembele then joining the club to add additional depth to either wing at Man Utd is, therefore, simply preposterous.

Dembele is a risky signing

Even if Man Utd were in desperate need of more talent for either wing, it would seem a little risky for the club to push the boat out and sign Dembele.

While the French winger has proved himself in short bursts for the Catalan side, his spell in Spain has overall been considered something of a disaster due to his injury record.

For example, since making the move from Dortmund in 2017, Dembele has missed no less than 92 games for Barcelona. And is currently out of action at the moment with another bad injury.

Dembele may be a fantastic player on his day, but he’s certainly not one that Man Utd could rely on for any extended period of time.