Dembele dines with Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan, sparks exit rumors

PanARMENIAN.Net - A dinner date between Ousmane Dembele and four Arsenal players has led to inevitable suggestions that the France international is being buttered up for a summer move to the Emirates, Telegraph says.

The World Cup winner was pictured enjoying a dinner with Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mattéo Guendouzi and Alexandre Lacazette on Thursday evening with just over a week to go until the summer window closes.

The 21-year-old, who joined Barcelona in a £115m move last summer, has fallen down the pecking order at the Nou Camp and is understood to be unhappy with the recent arrival of Brazilian winger, Malcom.

The former Borussia Dortmund winger was signed as a direct replacement for Neymar, but only managed to score three goals in an injury-plagued first season in La Liga.

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has already spent over £50m on new signings this summer but it's thought the Spaniard would jump at the chance to bring Dembele to the Premier League.

Dembele is good friends with Aubameyang after spending two seasons together at Borussia Dortmund.

"Very happy to be with family and surrounded by our guys," wrote Aubameyang's father, who shared a photo of the group.

The future of Anthony Martial looks certain to be away from Old Trafford as his ongoing feud with Jose Mourinho shows no signs of abating.

Now Manchester United are understood to be considering using the unsettled Frenchman in a potential swap deal for Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski.

The reports come a couple of months after the Polish striker's agent revealed he was interested in pursuing a new challenge.

Zahavi told Sport Bild magazine that the Bundesliga's top scorer "feels that he needs a change and a new challenge in his career."

The agent who helped facilitate Neymar's transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last year, said Lewandowski's reasons "are not money or a specific club, as nearly all top clubs would like to have the world's best striker in their ranks."

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge remains adamant the striker is going nowhere this summer.

“We know what we have in Robert Lewandowski. Nobody need worry, he will also play football here in Munich next year,” he said.