Barca look to Atletico for Dembele alternative

Should the German side dig their heels in over Dembele, Ernesto Valverde's side have a number of alternatives that they will pursue, one of which appears to be Atletico Madrid's Yannick Ferreira Carrasco.

Spanish publication 'Mundo Deportivo' reports that Barca have been tracking the 23-year-old Belgian for some time and that they may now be ready to make a move.

Barca chiefs are understood to be big fans of the speedy winger, making him a good bet to fill the void created by Neymar's move to PSG.

However, any move would be a difficult one, owing to Atletico's transfer ban and the fact that the player's release clause is set at €100m, a fee which Barca of course could pay but seemingly do not want to.

Another mooted alternative to Dembele is PSG's Angel Di Maria. The Argentina is also understood to have been followed by Barca scouts for some time now.

Despite this, as the deal for Dembele is very much still a possibility, there is no sign at this point that a bid for either Di Maria or Carrasco is imminent, but you certainly cannot accuse Barca of not covering their bases as far as alternative options go.