FC Barcelona offered Ousmane Dembele to some of the top clubs in Europe before the World Cup, according to claims from Spanish journalist Gerard Romero.

The media have linked Dembele to Arsenal for much of the summer, and reports today (albeit from unreliable sources like The Sun) suggest he’s closing in on a move to the club.

Whilst we should take those stories with a pinch of salt, it’s definitely starting to seem like Dembele might be set for some kind of move. Romero reports that “the situation is not easy, the club (Barcelona) offered him to the great clubs of Europe before the World Cup. Let’s see.”

Dembele is also hinting at his unhappiness on social media. In recent days he’s been ‘liking’ tweets saying things like “rejoin the Catalan team to train you idiot”, and others questioning his attitude and calling him a “flop”.

Of course, almost every player in world football must receive plenty of tweets like that on a daily basis. It’s the fact that he’s choosing to highlight the negative fans that makes it seem like it’s affecting him more than usual.

If Dembele does leave Barcelona, Arsenal would be likely just one of many clubs interested in his signature. The Gunners’ advantage is that they actually need a player like the Frenchman. They could guarantee him game time, and a chance to reunite with some of his old Borussia Dortmund teammates.

We’d have to see some really quick progress on the deal now though, with just nine days until the Premier League transfer window closes.