Barcelona’s new signing, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, is hoping to convince Ousmane Dembele to stay put at Camp Nou beyond the current season.
Speaking in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has claimed that he is trying to convince contract rebel Ousmane Dembele to change his mind about leaving the club at the end of the season.
Aubameyang signed for Barcelona in the winter transfer window, arriving on a free transfer after Arsenal tore up his contract. The 32-year-old made a slow start to life in Catalonia but showed his quality this past weekend when he scored a hat-trick to help the Blaugrana defeat Valencia 4-1 at the Mestalla.
While the veteran striker is starting to help Barcelona on the pitch, it seems like he is also trying to use his past connections with Ousmane Dembele to try and convince the winger to renew his contract, which expires at the end of the season.
The Frenchman has been at the centre of the long, drawn-out contract saga that saw him snub a proposal from Barcelona, who then tried to offload him in January, only for the winger to snub offers from other clubs. There were talks of the Catalans terminating his contract while the possibility of banishing from the first team was also discussed.
Aubameyang tells @mundodeportivo: “I told Dembélé: bro, you should stay at Barça. I don’t know if he’ll change his mind but… I can only say that anything can happen”. ?? #FCB
…and he’s telling Dembélé the same every day in training. Pierre really hopes for Ousmane to stay. pic.twitter.com/WK8xcPZy4g
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 21, 2022
However, manager Xavi Hernandez has not resorted to any such measures and has continued to use the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner on the pitch despite his contract situation. And Aubameyang has now revealed that the first thing he told Dembele when he arrived at the club was asking him to stay.
Aubameyang and Dembele played one season together at Borussia Dortmund before the latter signed for Barcelona in 2017. And during that one campaign, the two forwards struck up a deadly partnership that lit up Signal Iduna Park, with both stars playing some of their finest football in that term.
“It is something very special because we had an incredible year in Dortmund and he is an incredible player. Ousmane is one of the best with the ball and, for a striker, he is incredible. To tell the truth, I am very happy that he is here and when I arrived I told him: ‘You have to stay, man,'” Aubameyang said in the interview.
When asked if there is a possibility that the winger pens a new contract and prolongs his stay at the club, the Barcelona new signing said, “I don’t know, but the only thing I can say is that everything is possible in life.”
Dembele has been jeered and whistled at by Barcelona fans each time he has taken the field this month. However, manager Xavi has shown his support to the Frenchman. But, the 24-year-old signing a new contract with the Catalan giants looks like an unlikely prospect at this point.
