Manchester United and Barcelona have JMG Academy rising star Seydou Dembélé on their transfer agenda.
That’s what Africa Foot are reporting, after the player turned 18 years of age earlier this week. This makes him eligible to move to the UK if Manchester United were to sign him.
JMG Academy is a training company setup by former France midfielder Jean-Marc Guillou. He first started the venture in Ivory Coast and has set up several academies in Mali, Algeria, Egypt, Madagascar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Dembélé is now a part of the set up based in his country, in Bamako. His rise there helped him make debut for Mali’s U17 in 2025.
Manchester United and Barcelona in mix
The attacking midfielder has scored six goals and contributed seven assists from 14 matches for Mali U17 and even starred at U17 World Cup last November. His performances have seen Manchester United and Barcelona take notice.
Last year, Sport Witness covered claims of Chelsea’s interest in the teenager. The Blues even submitted a €1.6m bid but it wasn’t accepted. Africa Foot now points out the Club World Cup winners’ failure to sign him and cover the latest.
According to the outlet, the youngster is ‘one of the brightest prospects in world football’ and is attracting interest from several European clubs, including Manchester United and Barcelona.
Competition to sign Dembélé
The Red Devils and the La Liga winners have been monitoring the Malian so far. These two clubs won’t find it easy to secure his services because of tough competition.
Africa Foot mention Manchester United and Barcelona in a report focusing on Fenerbahçe.
The Turkish club have found Dembélé while on the lookout for young African talents and ‘intend to do everything possible’ to sign him, likely in the summer.
According to the outlet, JMG Academy in Mali have a partnership with Red Bull Salzburg, and the Austrian club also hope to sign the young attacking midfielder.
In short, Manchester United and Barcelona are in the picture to sign Dembélé. However, both clubs will face tough competition from Fenerbahçe and Red Bull Salzburg.