The biggest names in football will gather in Paris tonight for the glitzy Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Widely considered to be one of the most prestigious trophies in the whole of sport, the annual award will be handed out to the best player in the world to recognise their heroics.

Lionel Messi has scooped up the gong eight times, making him the record holder, with Cristiano Ronaldo trailing behind him on five, but another winner will be crowned this time around.

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Manchester United and Tottenham are certain to be watching on through their fingers after a player they both targeted quickly emerged as one of the favourites to take the prize home.

In fact, it would be a real shock if he didn’t emerge victorious at the Theatre du Chatelet.

Ruben Amorim looks on during Manchester United's victory against Chelsea in the Premier LeaguePhoto by Jan Kruger/Getty ImagesMan United and Tottenham wanted to sign Ousmane Dembele

Ousmane Dembele has been widely tipped to win the Ballon d’Or this year after a stunning season for Paris Saint-Germain, who signed him for just £43million from Barcelona.

However, his career could have looked very different had he moved to the Premier League instead.

According to the Daily Mail, Man United mounted a deadline day swoop for Dembele back in 2020, having missed out on Jadon Sancho.

Barcelona were initially open to selling the winger to free up cash to bring in Memphis Depay and compromised on a loan after United rejected a permanent deal.

Ousmane Dembele celebrates after scoring a goal for PSGPhoto by Xavier Laine/Getty Images

The move collapsed, though, when Dembele refused to sign a contract extension. He would have returned to the Nou Camp with just a year left on his deal, which would in turn have affected the La Liga club’s ability to recoup a significant fee after investing £100m on him in 2017.

Dembele instead remained in Spain and eventually joined PSG in 2022.

Tottenham had also joined the race to sign the now 28-year-old in January 2022, but, according to Fabrizio Romano, the deal was never a possibility during the final hours on deadline day.

Will Ousmane Dembele win the Ballon d’Or?

Despite the usual speculation over alleged leaks on social media, the actual winner of the Ballon d’Or will not be officially known until the ceremony takes place on Monday night.

Bookmakers have tipped Dembele and Lamine Yamal as the hot favourites, but the former is said to hold a slight advantage after his outrageously good campaign last time out.

He provided 43 goal contributions in 44 Ligue 1 and Champions League matches last season, helping PSG complete a domestic clean sweep under Luis Enrique.

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Dembele was also crucial to their run to the Champions League final, where they thumped Inter Milan 5-0.

Cruelly, many of PSG’s players will be forced to miss the ceremony after their top-flight fixture against Marseille was postponed on Sunday due to severe weather in southern France.

Currently out injured, Dembele will have to choose between attending the game or the Ballon d’Or pomp.