Manchester United are keeping tabs on Ousmane Dembele's situation at Barcelona as he enters the final 18 months of his contract. 

The 23-year-old has endured something of a turbulent spell at Camp Nou since his mega-money move from Borussia Dortmund in 2017. 

Owing to a combination of injury and attitude problems, Dembele has struggled to hold down a regular place in the starting XI and, despite a mini resurgence in recent weeks, could well depart the club in the summer window. 

According to Spanish media outlet Sport, Barcelona will do what they can to prevent the France international from leaving on a free when his contract expires in June 2022. 

The report claims that they'll either extend his current deal or offload him for a 'significant' fee during the summer window. 

A plethora of clubs are monitoring the unfolding situation ahead of a potential bid including Manchester United, Chelsea, Juventus and Bayern Munich. 

United's interest is certainly not a recent phenomenon, though, with Sport claiming that the club had agreed a loan deal with an option to buy in the summer of 2020 that eventually broke down shortly before the window slammed shut. 

GIVEMESPORT's Jack Saville says...

Dembele's return of 25 goals and 19 goals in 93 Barcelona games doesn't quite tell the whole story of his time in Catalonia.

On the surface it's a commendable return but the pervading feeling is one of underachievement for a player of whom so much was expected. 

Dembele played under Thomas Tuchel when he was breaking through at Dortmund, and the recently departed Paris Saint-Germain manager had this to say about the potential he saw in the 23-year-old. 

"He's an unbelievable player, he's very, very talented.

"I could see every day in training that he's an extraordinary talent."

With blistering pace, versatility in forward positions and the rare ability to use both feet with equal measure, Dembele was tipped to elevate onto a platform with the most elite individuals in the game at Barcelona. 

Given the fact Dembele is valued at just £45m by Transfermarkt - a significant drop off from the £117m Barca paid for him almost four years ago - and his contract situation, Dembele could well be available at a price beneath his true value in the summer window. 

It seems Ole Gunnar Solskjaer isn't giving up his pursuit despite the Red Devils' near-miss in 2020, and under the circumstances it's easy to see why the Norwegian is eager to add the immensely talented forward to his attacking roster.