Liverpool should sign surprise attacker from Barcelona whose value has plummeted, says Reds legend | OneFootball

Liverpool have been advised by John Barnes to pursue Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele in addition to Yves Bissouma in the summer transfer window.

The 24-year-old attacker has recovered slightly from an injury-plagued campaign last year, registering 16 goal contributions across all competitions this term.

“He’s [Bissouma] more of a defensively minded midfielder, but if you look at the way Liverpool’s front three play, then you don’t necessarily need an attacking midfielder with an eye for goal, because if Liverpool had that then Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane wouldn’t have the opportunity to score as many goals and it would affect the way they play,” the 57-year-old told BettingOdds.com (via Pundit Arena). “That’s why I believe that Bissouma would suit Liverpool and that front three perfectly. He would also be a shield in front of the back four and for me, he and Ousmane Dembele would be the perfect additions for Liverpool next season.”

With his contract set to expire next summer, and Marca reporting that negotiations over fresh terms between club and player have been unsuccessful at the first attempt, the Reds could potentially secure the Frenchman for a bargain fee.

Valued at £45m by Transfermarkt, it’s a far cry from the €105m Barcelona parted ways with for his signature in 2017.

READ MORE: ‘Perfect fit for Liverpool’ – John Barnes urges Reds to pursue £40m target compared to Wijnaldum

Presuming that the La Liga giants are prepared to take advantage of any interest in Dembele this summer, if his stay with the Catalan outfit can’t be extended, it’s an option we could very well consider given our own squad needs.

Jurgen Klopp remains reportedly keen on bolstering our forward line and, at 24-years-old, the former Borussia Dortmund prodigy is in the ideal age group of the kind of target we imagine the recruitment team is envisaging.

While his development did get somewhat sidetracked in Spain, there’s still a great deal of potential that Klopp could nurture.

That’s not forgetting how the forward’s versatility (being able to play across all front-three positions) is likely to appeal either, though it is admittedly something of an ‘out-there’ signing when compared to prior transfers.

Liverpool’s AFCON boost may lead Klopp to put off one KEY signing – it shouldn’t