Arsenal: Ousmane Dembele the one to run and run

Sven Mislintat is reportedly in regular contact with Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele. This is the type of Asenal transfer that’s going to run and run.

The transfer window is certainly in full swing now. While Arsenal are yet to officially make any signings as of writing, there has been prevalent rumours flying around linking them with nearly every player under the sun. That is, as ever, the nature of the period.

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Some of the reports that surface at this early stage will run and run for the duration of the summer. That is what newspapers do. They have to sell copies, and so they will produce rumours that endure throughout the whole of the summer. Expect to hear names like Gareth Bale, Antoine Griezmann and Eden Hazard ad nauseum.

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And I do believe that I have found the name that will run and run this summer for Arsenal: Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele.

He is the perfect candidate. His name is high profile enough for fans, like myself, to continually dream about a possible signing. He has a link with the club with Sven Mislintat, the man who scouted him and brought him to Borussia Dortmund, now being the Head of Recruitment at the Emirates. He may want to leave Barcelona after a frustrating first season at the Catalan club, especially if Griezmann arrives as is expected.

Moreover, there have been suggestions that Mislintat is in regular contact with the pacy winger, with ‘Diamond Eye’ acutely aware of the rare opportunity that it would be to bring a player of Dembele’s quality to the club, even if only on a temporary basis.

And yet, there is now way that such a deal is going to happen quickly. First and foremost, I am sure that Dembele will be getting better offers than Arsenal. He will want to be patient, waiting for the best destination to arise.

But more than that, there are plenty of moving cogs that must all fit together. Barcelona must be happy to allow him to leave, and thereby will likely have to find a replacement, or improvement, prior to letting him depart. Dembele must want to leave. The Gunners must be able to afford him and his rather substantial wages.

And then there is Unai Emery. This is a man whose ideas are largely hidden from the general public at this point. No one really knows how he wants to build this team, in what positions he wants to invest, and what type of players he wants to acquire. Is Dembele someone who Emery would want?

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Consequently, then, patience will be key in this long-winding rumour. This will not happen fast, if at all. Arsenal, and the fans, myself included, will have to bide their time. If they acquire Dembele at the end of it, though, it will be worth every second of waiting.