Landing Dembele in January could tip the balance of the title race Liverpool’s way

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Liverpool are still interested in a January move for Ousmane Dembele, according to Spanish outlet El Confidencial.

The French wideman was effectively bought as a big-money replacement for Neymar but then the Catalans went and splashed huge money on Philippe Coutinho from the Reds in January and he was pushed out.

Dembele’s contribution and contribution in the face of that setback hasn’t impressed at the Nou Camp, raising the possibility of yet another huge mid-season deal between the two clubs, this time with the player going the other way.

While last season, the loss of Coutinho destabilized Liverpool slightly as they looked to adapt without their playmaker, signing Dembele this season could give Jurgen Klopp the edge in an increasingly tight title race.

Liverpool have a strong working relationship with Barcelona following the Coutinho sale and they may use that advantage to beat the competition to land Dembele.

With Klopp experimenting with 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 systems, there is also a space opening up for Dembele, who would be a clear upgrade on Xherdan Shaqiri in that right wing role due to his searing pace and directness.

Barcelona owe Liverpool somewhat for pinching their top playmaker and if that gets Dembele through the door in January, then that Coutinho deal may just clinch the Reds that first Premier League title.