Barcelona have reportedly placed recent Tottenham Hotspur target Willian Jose atop their list of potential replacements after being granted an emergency exception in the wake of Ousmane Dembele’s six-month injury.
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Jose was reportedly close to completing a move to Tottenham during the January transfer window before the deal fell apart in the final days. Manchester United was another club reportedly interested in the 28-year-old Real Sociedad forward, though the Red Devils were never said to have made as much progress toward a deal as Spurs.
Barca were granted the exception to sign a domestic-based player outside the transfer window on the grounds of an injury that will keep a player out for more than four months. Permission was granted by both the Spanish Football Federation and La Liga. Dembele hasn’t played since November and it was determined this week that surgery was the best course of action for his serious hamstring tear.
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As PST’s Nicholas Mendola stated on Tuesday, Jose is “currently out of favor with his club and the likeliest to move should Barca pony up the $40-plus million it will take.”