Revealed: Manchester City executive Hugo Viana holds meeting with Ousmane Dembele’s agent | OneFootball

The agent of Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele met Manchester City sporting director Hugo Viana in Madrid ahead of the their UEFA Champions League defeat to Real Madrid last week, as per a new report.

Over the past year, City have already overseen a major rebuild of Guardiola’s team. The club strengthened multiple positions by signing players like Nico González, Vitor Reis, Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, Marc Guéhi and Antoine Semenyo have also joined in since – demonstrating Manchester City’s determination to maintain competitiveness domestically and in Europe.

Against that backdrop, links with Ousmane Dembele inevitably attract attention. The 28-year-old is currently one of the most talented attackers in European football. He is contracted with Paris Saint-Germain until June 2028. Dembele is also the current Ballon d’Or winner, underlining the level at which he is currently performing.

What has been reported about Viana meeting Dembele’s agent?

The reported meeting, exclusively revealed by journalist Marcos Benito on El Chiringuito TV and corroborated by Carlos Monfort of Sport, took place at Manchester City’s team hotel for their recent trip to Spain. Cameras captured Dembele’s representative Moussa Sissoko entering a luxury hotel to hold discussions with Viana.

The timing of the meeting was important. Viana was in Madrid with City’s delegation for their Champions League match against Real Madrid on Wednesday. Pep Guardiola’s team lost 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu. The sighting has inevitably fuelled speculation about a potential move for the French winger.

Dembele’s recent performances have only added to that reputation. He scored a key goal to hand PSG the lead following a rapid counterattack in their 5–2 win over Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg. His performance was another example of the speed and unpredictability that have defined his career.

The meeting in Madrid has therefore ignited speculation that City may be assessing the possibility of adding another elite attacking option to Guardiola’s squad. Guardiola’s tactical approach is well-known for having versatile wide players who can stretch defences and play a number of attacking roles.

Are Manchester City interested in signing Dembele from Paris Saint-Germain?

However, it remains unclear whether the conversation between Sissoko and Viana related specifically to a transfer move. On European matchdays, it is fairly common for agents and club executives to meet, especially when many clubs and representatives are in the same city.

There is no sign that official conversations have started yet. PSG would also be expected to take a firm stance about any attempt to sign one of their best players.

The meeting’s timing and visibility, on the other hand, have made sure that Dembele’s name will be a significant component of talks about City’s future transfer plans. As the summer transfer window gets nearer, the meeting in Madrid could be just a normal conversation or the first sign of one of the most exciting possible moves in the market.