- Arsenal might have ended their chase for Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele
- The French star won the 2018 World Cup with his national team France in Russia last month
- Meanwhile, the club's legend Martin Keown believes they will not be signing the club due to the money they spent on Aubameyang
Premier League giants Arsenal have reportedly ended their chase for Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele this summer.
The Russia 2018 World Cup winning winger was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium all summer long following the player's unsatisfaction with his bench warming role at the club.
Dembele joined the Catalan club from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017 for £135.5 million but his debut season at the Camp Nou was marred by injury.
However, the Gunners are keeping fate with their record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who they splashed €63,75 million in January.
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Daily Star was said to have quoted the club's legend Martin Keown.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old became unsettled at the club following the arrival of Malcom from Bordeaux in a €41 million deal as he appears to have fallen down the pecking order and is up for sale.
And while Keown believes Gunners fans are keen for another big-money signing ahead of Thursday’s deadline, he doesn’t think it’s realistic that Unai Emery will break the bank for Dembele.
"I don’t know, maybe it’s good for the fans," he exclusively told Starsport.
"I don’t see it happening. It seems like it’s an absolute fortune for the player. It doesn’t look likely.
"But maybe the Arsenal fans are hoping for that sort of marquee signing. I think that work was done last year with Aubameyang.
"Aubameyang is going to be a player that I think could really tear up the Premier League this season so we’ll have to wait and see how that happens.
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"It’s great because in a week’s time all the talking stops and we’ll see who’s the best.
"I think Arsenal will be well prepared because the manager’s had longer to work with his players than everybody else who’s been back to pre-season training.
"You look at the number of players that still aren’t back properly, Arsenal have had that advantage that the core of the players have been back now for four to five weeks."
NAIJ.com previously reported that Barcelona offered star striker Ousmane Dembele to Arsenal in a big to stop Real Madrid and Manchester United from signing Hector Bellerin.
Barcelona signed Dembele from Borussia Dormund last summer, but the Frenchman has endured a problematic first season at the Nou Camp.
Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin on the other hand has emerged as a summer transfer target for Barcelona and Los Blancos want to try and lure him to Spain this summer.
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Source: Naija.ng
