Real Madrid looking to steal Ousmane Dembélé from Barcelona

With the recent news of Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the Bernabeu, Florentino Perez has quickly made Ousmane Dembélé his number one target to replace Ronaldo should the Portuguese leave.

Dembélé had a breakthrough season for Borussia Dortmund following his move from French side Rennes. He scored 10 goals and registered an incredible 21 assist in 49 appearances, guiding Dortmund to the German Cup and a third-place finish in the Bundesliga. 

His performances have earned him a first eleven place in the French national team as well and his brilliant performance against England in an international friendly capped off by the winning goal in a 3-2 win only made his stock higher. 

Barcelona were reported to be interested in the player as newly-appointed manager Ernesto Valverde wants a complete squad overhaul before the season starts. The aging Barcelona team is of concern and Valverde wants to inject some youth into his side. 

However, Barcelona have failed to complete a deal and are trying to lower Dortmund's asking price for the 20-year-old.  

Real Madrid might now step in to taking advantage of the situation and steal Dembélé, according to Spanish news outlet Diario Gol.Cristiano Ronaldo recently sent the club into crisis mode after he expressed his desire to leave the country following tax fraud allegations. Florentino Perez isn't taking any chances and is now looking to Ousmane Dembélé to replace Ronaldo should the Portuguese leave. 

The report also states that Perez sees the purchase of Dembélé as a brilliant business decision as his fame makes him a Galactico-like player. His current form and his youth will also serve to be both a long and short-term solution, in addition to his high resale value.