Liverpool are said to be greatly interested in Ousmane Dembele, with a report speculating that the Reds have offered the wide man an improved wage packet to that which he currently earns in Spain.
Returned ex-Barcelona star, Xavi, who was appointed to the helm of the Catalan-based outfit, had lavished the attacker with praise.
“Well worked, he can be the best footballer in the world in his position. He has spectacular conditions,” the 41-year-old spoke of the Frenchman, as quoted by El Nacional (as translated by Google).
“It is very important, of course, that he has a winning mentality, that he has performance.
“Yes, his renewal is a priority right now.”
The Merseysiders are thought to remain interested in the prospect of expanding their forward line – an eventuality that failed to materialise in the summer due to financial limitations.
Injuries have played a significant role in derailing the 24-year-old’s career with the La Liga club, a feature that will certainly raise alarm bells given our current struggles with sidelined stars.
There’s evidently a quality player in there, of course, which can be a tempting proposition when the recruitment team looks at how we’ve recently handled a particularly injury prone man in Joel Matip.
Whilst the forward fits within the generally desired age profile favoured by Michael Edwards and co. – not to mention being something of a potential steal should Barcelona fail to extend his terms – it’s a signing we’d have to likely rule out until more reliable sources appear.