Manchester United Transfer News: Ousmane Dembele Fuels Red Devils Rumours

Rennes wonderkid Ousmane Dembele has given Manchester United a potential boost in the race for his summer signature after he admitted he usually chooses to play as the Red Devils on PlayStation.  

The 18-year-old has become subject to an onslaught of speculation following a breakout season in France, and he told French daily L'Equipe of his soft spot for the Premier League giants (h/t James Dixon of the Manchester Evening News):

"

It’s nice, but in the end, I still have three years with Rennes. I’m still progressing. I’m discovering Ligue 1. I think especially of what happens on the pitch, and not what’s going on around it.

I’ll be the one who decides my future, as will my family. But I’m still at Rennes. I’m thinking about the end of the season. I hope we finish in the top five.

I love spending time with my friends and play PlayStation. I take Manchester United.

"

Dembele has exploded into Rennes' first-team order this season and has netted 10 goals since making his Ligue 1 debut in November, five of which have come in his last four league games.

Interest in the teenager is reported to be swirling following that spike in performance, and OptaJean recently provided context to his status as something of a French prodigy:

United have already acquired one of France's brightest prospects in the shape of former Monaco striker Anthony Martial, but Dembele would undoubtedly go down as another welcome addition on the wing.

Europe's giants are starting to take notice of the player, and news broke over the weekend (per ESPN FC) that Bayern Munich had agreed to a deal to sign Dembele. However, he quickly shot down those rumours, per the Sun's Wally Downes Jr: "I do not take to my head what was said in the newspapers. I am at Rennes for another three years, I’m alone. I did not sign anything at all, I had no appointment. This is a big club, they are one of the four best clubs in the world. But there are no discussions with Bayern."

FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

It was also revealed this week that Tottenham Hotspur missed out on the opportunity to sign Dembele for just £1.2 million last year, because they wanted to give him a trial first, according to Squawka's Greg Stobart.

Sport Witness cited a report from L'Equipe which claimed United were just one of the powerhouses scouting Dembele in Rennes' recent 5-2 win over Marseille, where he scored one goal and assisted on another:

Stobart's report mentioned Bayern's interest and an alleged valuation of £27.3 million, but manager Louis van Gaal may be willing to spend big again this summer if it means improving his side's fortunes. A large part of Dembele's appeal is because the player can also play on either flank or in a central hub.

ESPN FC's Alex Shaw recently highlighted the fact that spending power is also based largely on income, and United will be better placed to invest in players this summer if they qualify for the money-earning UEFA Champions League:

Van Gaal has made a point of promoting youth during his time at Old Trafford, bringing the likes of Martial and Memphis Depay in while handing chances to Jesse Lingard, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and Guillermo Varela.

Dembele brings the added advantage of already having proved himself—to an extent—in one of Europe's top divisions, and his apparent fondness for all things red could play into United's favour when it comes to hunting his signature.