Premier League: Barcelona say Manchester United cannot have Ousmane Dembele in transfer window

Barcelona: Barcelona insisted on Friday that French attacker Ousmane Dembele is not heading to Manchester United. “There are no negotiations with Manchester United,” said sporting director Ramon Planes. “He is a player we are counting on.” The transfer window closes on Monday, 5 October. After Barcelona’s disastrous finish to last season, Planes, who was named in his post in August, has been conducting a squad overhaul with new manager Ronald Koeman. The 23-year-old Demebele, who has suffered a series of hamstring injuries since arriving from Dortmund in 2017, has been linked with a move away. “We hope to be able to take advantage of his footballing talent. I am convinced that he will have a great year with us”, Planes told a press conference to introduce teenage Dutch defender Sergino Dest. “There are four days left of mercato, it’s an atypical mercato. A lot can happen,” Planes added. He signalled that two French defenders, World Cup winner Samuel Umtiti and 20-year-old Jean-Clair Todibo, could be following Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal out of the club. “For Umtiti, we wish him all the best. He is a great player, but at the moment he is going through a bad situation, which is typical of injuries in football,” Planes said. “Jean-Clair has several offers. He wants to have time to play and grow up in another team, and that must be respected.”