Barcelona deny holding Ousmane Dembele talks with Manchester United

Barcelona sporting director Ramon Planes has denied that the Catalan giants are in talks with Manchester United over a possible deal for Ousmane Dembele.

The Red Devils are believed to have identified the France international as an alternative to Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and are thought to be exploring the possibility of a loan deal.

French journalist Julien Laurens claimed on Friday afternoon that negotiations were underway between the two clubs over a potential agreement.

However, Planes has insisted that there have been no talks with the 20-time English champions, and the La Liga club's sporting director is expecting the World Cup winner to remain at Camp Nou.

"There are no negotiations with Manchester United," Planes told reporters. "He's a player we're counting on. We know his potential and we hope he can show his best, with all the changes there have been in the team.

"We hope to enjoy his potential and footballing talent. I'm sure he'll have a good year for us."

The 23-year-old has struggled with a series of injuries since joining Barca from Dortmund in 2017 and has only played 20 minutes of La Liga football at the start of the 2020-21 campaign.