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Ousmane Dembele declines Leicester move ahead of Dortmund transfer

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 7, 2026, 9:36 AM

Last updated Jun 7, 2026

Ousmane Dembele declines Leicester move ahead of Dortmund transfer

Summary

Ousmane Dembele was in talks with Leicester City before the 2016/17 season. Despite a conversation with Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri, Dembele opted to join Borussia Dortmund after a breakout season with Rennes. At just 18, he scored 12 goals in Ligue 1 and won the Young Player of the Year award. The decision to turn down Leicester was surprising given their recent Premier League title win and new Champions League status. Dembele later had a standout season in the Bundesliga, contributing significantly to Dortmund's campaign.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Dembele had a breakout season at Rennes before being courted by Leicester.
•Claudio Ranieri spoke to Dembele about a potential move.
•Dembele ultimately chose to sign with Borussia Dortmund.
•Leicester City had just won the Premier League title.
•Both clubs reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals that season.

Latest Updates

9:36 AMYahoo Sports — It Almost Happened: Ousmane Dembele Joins Leicester

What they're saying

"
Welcome to a new series of articles from Last Word on Football. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at the transfers, sackings, appointments and more that almost happened in football, changing the game we all know and love. Here, we look back at the time when then-wonderkid Ousmane Dembele was in talks …
— Yahoo Sports

Related Teams & Leagues

Borussia Dortmund Champions League Soccer