Barcelona have reportedly made contact with the entourage of Ousmane Dembele as they wish to restart contract talks with the Frenchman.
According to SPORT, Barcelona have gotten in touch with the representatives of contract rebel Ousmane Dembele to reopen talks over an extension with the forward.
Dembele is in the final three months of his contract at Barcelona, and talks over a new deal have been dead since January. Indeed, the French international made outrageous wage demands worth around €40 million per year and turned down the offer that the club tabled. The Catalans tried to offload him in the winter window, but he refused to leave.
Having stayed put, Dembele has proven his value to the team with some stellar displays over the past couple of months. The 24-year-old has racked up a tally of one goal and nine assists in just 12 La Liga appearances this term and has been playing some of his finest football in Barcelona colours under the tutelage of Xavi Hernandez.
It has sparked talks over a potential contract renewal for the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner even though Barcelona have been pursuing Leeds United winger Raphinha as a replacement.
❗️ Barcelona have taken the step of contacting Ousmane Dembélé's agent, Moussa Sissoko, to resume talks over the Frenchman's renewal. [sport] pic.twitter.com/ycsouIcWOs
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) March 29, 2022
Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently insisted that there had been no changes with regard to Dembele’s contract situation. But the report above is now claiming that the club may have made the first move to try and restart talks over a possible extension for the former Borussia Dortmund winger.
The 24-year-old, as iterated earlier, is playing brilliantly of late under Xavi and seems to have put his fitness woes beyond him as well. Furthermore, he looks happier on the pitch than he has ever, while the reunion with former Dortmund teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also seems to have had a positive impact on Dembele.
From the club’s side, Xavi has always been intent on the winger staying put, while several of his teammates have also been urging the Frenchman to sign an extension and further his career at Camp Nou. With the club now making the first move to reinitiate talks, the ball is in Dembele’s court now.
It remains to be seen if he is willing to reach a compromise about his wage demands and continue at Barcelona or decides that this will be his last season in Catalonia.
