A former Anfield favourite thinks the Frenchman is capable of breaking into Jurgen Klopp’s front-three
Ousmane Dembele is a perfect fit for Liverpool, according to John Barnes, who has urged the Reds to sign the Barcelona winger this summer.
Dembele is currently enjoying his best season yet at Barca, having finally put the injury problems that plagued him at the start of his Camp Nou career behind him.
Barnes has been among those to take notice of the Frenchman’s resurgence, and he thinks the gifted attacker would be the ideal addition to Jurgen Klopp’s ranks at Anfield when the transfer window reopens.
What’s been said?
“One player that I think could make it at Liverpool is Ousmane Dembele,” the former Reds star told BonusCodeBets. “He would fit right into the front three because his directness is perfect for Liverpool’s way of playing.
“Of all the players linked with Liverpool, he is a player that fans should be excited about. If he wants to continue playing at the biggest clubs like Barcelona then Liverpool is the right club for him.
“He’s a player that fits the way Liverpool plays and I think that Liverpool would be interested in that type of player.”
Asked if the path could be cleared for Dembele to join Liverpool by the potential departure of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino, Barnes added: “I can’t see a reason for any of the front three to leave because they like it at Liverpool and things are going well.
“I don’t think there’s a reason any of the front three need to feel they have to leave to fulfil their ambitions because they’ve won the league and the Champions League so it’s hard to say what more they want.
“In terms of the potential to be successful, they won’t get it much better anywhere else, it’s just a question of whether they feel they want a new challenge.
“Some of them are coming up to 28/29 and sometimes players move on.”
Dembele’s record for Barca in 2020-21
Dembele has played a key role in Barca’s bid to re-establish themselves as the best team in Spain this term under Ronald Koeman.
The 23-year-old has contributed 10 goals and four assists to the Blaugrana’s cause across 36 outings in all competitions, including a crucial last-minute winner against Real Valladolid on Monday.
That 1-0 victory saw Barca move to within a single point of Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga, and they also have a Copa Del Rey final against Athletic Club to look forward to next month.
Bigger picture
Dembele cost Barca an initial fee of €105 million (£91m/$125m) when they signed him from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, and he would likely command another significant fee if he was to leave the club later this year.
Liverpool would probably have to sell one of their current attackers in order to finance a deal for the World Cup winner, with Salah touted as the man most likely to depart Anfield in the summer amid links with Real Madrid and others.