Daily Mail: Why Dembele turned down Manchester United move
The France forward remained at Barcelona despite interest from Old Trafford
Ousmane Dembele was close to joining Manchester United. However, the player's decision to not extend his contract with Barcelona for one more year ruled out a move in the end. That's according to the Daily Mail, who also say that the Red Devils will move for Dembele again in January.
The report in the English tabloid says a loan move was on the cards. United were going to pay a fee for the loan, the player's wages and would also have an option to buy next summer. However, Barça asked for the French winger to extend his deal for one more year before signing off on the loan.
Dembele's current deal expires in 2022. Barça wanted to push it to 2023 to protect themselves. If United didn't take the option to buy, they would have been left with a player with just 12 months on his deal and in a difficult position if it came to negotiating his sale.
But Dembele wasn't keen and the loan move fell through.
Despite that, United intend to try again in January. The English side still need to add width to their attack and contact with Barcelona continues despite the closing of the transfer window.
