Romano Clarifies Manchester City's Dembélé Negotiations After Madrid Meeting
Transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed details of a meeting between Moussa Sissoko, agent of French international Ousmane Dembélé, and Hugo Viana, Sporting Director of English club Manchester City, in the Spanish capital, Madrid. Despite initial media speculation linking this encounter to a potential move for the Paris Saint-Germain forward to the English club, recent developments have denied any connection of the player to the substance of the discussions held between the two parties.
The meeting took place in a hotel in the Spanish capital, coinciding with the UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Manchester City. Sissoko's presence with Portuguese official Viana sparked widespread debate regarding the French star's future. In this regard, Romano clarified that the meeting did not address Dembélé's situation at all, emphasizing the absence of any official contact or direct negotiations between the two parties at this stage to finalize a potential deal.
Fabrizio Romano stated: "The meeting between agent Moussa Sissoko and Hugo Viana, Manchester City's General Director, was not about a potential transfer for Ousmane Dembélé," confirming at the same time that "no discussions or contacts have taken place at this stage with Manchester City" regarding the player. These statements aim to quell the rumors that spread after the two parties were spotted together, at a time when the English club is working to organize its administrative and sporting affairs under its new sporting director.
Ousmane Dembélé, who is under contract with Paris Saint-Germain until June 2028, is reportedly attracting growing interest from Saudi League clubs, which are preparing to submit a massive offer to sign him next summer. In a related context, the Parisian club has made an initial verbal offer to improve the player's salary, in line with the salary cap policy implemented by club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, which requires all players to adhere to it to ensure the team's financial balance.
