Liverpool are reportedly eyeing a move for Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele, who has failed to fulfil his potential since leaving Borussia Dortmund for the Spanish giants.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the Reds will pursue Dembele if they are unable to sign Timo Werner. The Germany international has been heavily linked with a switch to Anfield, but some recent reports have claimed the club are not willing to meet his £50m release clause.
This could see Jurgen Klopp turn his attentions to Dembele, claim Mundo Deportivo, as Klopp is a big fan of the tricky winger. Their report states the Reds boss has always been an admirer of the young Frenchman, even trying to sign him from Dortmund before he was lured to Catalonia.
Indeed, the 23 year-old is immensely talented with the ball at his feet, racking up 2.8 dribbles per game in La Liga this season, per Whoscored. To put that into perspective, current Reds star Sadio Mane averages just 1.9 dribbles per Premier League match, while Dembele also has the edge in key passes.
While he will need to improve his durability and fitness, having missed out on most of this season with muscle injuries, there is no question Dembele's speed, versatility and directness would add yet another potent threat to Liverpool's devastating attack.
However, there are plenty of question marks over the youngster's character, having already made Klopp furious back in 2017, according to Bild via The Mirror. According to their report, the winger was renting the former Dortmund boss' house in Germany, leaving it in a sorry state while acting out in an attempt to force through his move to Barcelona.
There have also been multiple reports of missing training and "self-destructing" at Barcelona due to "gaming addiction", per GOAL, and these types of issues are few and far between amongst the current Liverpool squad, a trait which has surely contributed to the Reds' togetherness and development.
Whether Klopp is the man to get the talented Dembele to buckle down and hone his craft remains to be seen, but it certainly seems a bigger risk than moving for the slightly more experienced Werner.