Manchester United step up Ousmane Dembele interest?

Manchester United have reportedly stepped up their interest in Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele.

Earlier this week, it was claimed that the Red Devils had identified the France international as a potential signing during the January transfer window.

The 22-year-old has scored 18 times in 67 appearances for Barca in all competitions, but the attacker's off-the-field conduct has been widely criticised during his time at the club.

Dembele was strongly linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain during the summer as part of a potential swap deal for Neymar, although the Frenchman remained at Camp Nou.

According to reports in Spain, United have identified Dembele as the perfect player to boost their struggling attack, and the Red Devils are confident of agreeing a transfer fee with the Spanish champions.

The former Rennes youngster missed five of Barca's first six matches of the 2019-20 campaign with a hamstring problem before returning against Villarreal on Tuesday night.

United failed to sign a replacement for Romelu Lukaku during the summer transfer window, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side also allowed Alexis Sanchez to leave on loan which further depleted their options in the final third.