Liverpool could yet sign £135m player in cut-price deal after report from Spain – our view

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Ousmane Dembele leaving Barcelona to join Liverpool is one transfer that never seems to go away.

And Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano brought it back to life last month by revealing that Liverpool are still keen on the France international.

Dembele has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence with Barcelona – who spent £135 million on him in 2017 [BBC Sport] – this season, scoring 10 goals for the Camp Nou club.

Mundo Deportivo have reported that Barcelona are keen to keep him in Catalunya but there’s a catch that might just benefit Liverpool.

That’s because the same report adds that although the Primera Liga side are going to offer the former Borussia Dortmund winger a new contract, he’ll have to accept a paycut.

And this is where Liverpool could potentially benefit.

As things stand, Dembele is out of contract at Camp Nou in just 14 months, meaning that a cut-price deal is very much on the table this summer if he refuses to sign the extension.

And given that Barcelona have debts in the region of £1 billion [Sky Sports] and would reportedly have to offer him less money to stay, there isn’t exactly a lot of incentive for the 23-year-old to put pen to paper, is there?

Of course, none of this means he is destined to sign for Jurgen Klopp’s side this summer, but Barcelona do have to sell if Dembele indicates that he won’t be signing a new deal – and suffice to say they could get him for a lot less than the £135 million that the Blaugrana paid.