Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Agent issues warning as Arsenal and Chelsea chase French star
OUSMANE DEMBELE’S agent believes it would be a mistake for his client to leave Rennes in the summer.
Ousmane Dembele (left) is in demand
The 18-year-old has been in fabulous form this term, scoring nine goals in 17 Ligue 1 appearances.
Arsenal and Chelsea are among a handful of teams chasing the hitman, as they seek to bolster their respective attacks.
Barcelona were thought to have scouted the France Under-21 international during Rennes’ 4-1 win over Nantes on Sunday night.
But Dembele’s agent believes his client still needs to learn a trade and should stay at Rennes for at least another season before contemplating a move.
“We want him to follow a logical progression and we intend for him to be at Rennes for a season and a half,” Badou Sambague told French paper L’Equipe.
Arsenal club fact file
“After that, we'll see what happens according to his evolution.”
Dembele recently admitted it would be a ‘dream’ to move to Barcelona.
He said: “It would be a dream to play for Barcelona. The Spanish league is really competitive.
"I’m inspired by Neymar and Messi. They’re great players. I try to follow their games and copy what they do in training."
Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?