Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said in his Friday press conference he wanted to backtrack on claims United would ‘exploit the market’ this summer.
So far there has been little evidence of this. But in making a move for Ousmane Dembele, United would be doing just this.
United are linked with a permanent move for Dembele by L’Equipe at a fee of 50 million Euros (£43 million).
Even considering Dembele’s wretched injury history, this is a major discount on a player Barcelona paid £135.5 million to sign in 2017.
Barcelona are keen to sell, to raise money for their own last minute additions.
Better than a loan
While the loan move would give United some protection in case of injuries, this kind of value will not be there in a year’s time.
If Dembele has a good, injury free year, he will end up costing more like £80 million.
Barcelona may even want to keep him, and then United are stuck haggling over a big fee, for a player who still has the same injury risk.
This is the time to get him, while his market value is at it’s lowest. He will still have resale value.
Dembele is still only 23, and has a big future ahead of him if he can stay fit.
Special talent
Dembele is one of the best young players in the world and if he can stay fit, he is worth twice what United would pay.
This is the same fee it should be remembered, that Bournemouth wanted for David Brooks – who himself missed nearly all of last season through injury.
At least in this case, United would be gambling on a world class, elite talent.
If he can rediscover that top form which made him a success at Dortmund, then United have pulled off an outstanding deal.
It is one which could help get the best out of international teammates Antony Martial and Paul Pogba, and vice versa, while his versatility to play on both flanks will help both Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.
This is a gamble United should take, having seemingly blown the Jadon Sancho deal.
Acceptable risk
There is a very realistic possibility that this could be £43 million wasted if injuries hit Dembele.
But this is not our money. United have backed themselves into this corner, and deliberately taken the cheap option as opposed to paying bigger for Jadon Sancho.
If Dembele suffers with injuries, it will not be a surprise. There is ample warning.
The fault will lie with the board, for not paying up for Jadon Sancho. Not with Dembele.
Sancho is no sure bet himself though. United have found this out with other signings from Dortmund, Shinji Kagawa and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, while Memphis Depay’s prolific record at PSV counted for little in the Premier League.
Dembele is a gamble, but United have made plenty of these before, and more expensive ones. Considering his upside, and the lack of late options, he would be an acceptable risk at £43 million.
If it comes off, and Dembele is a hit, for the fee proposed, he could be one of United’s best ever transfers.
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