Barcelona and Ousmane Dembele’s standoff could continue, with the Blaugrana unlikely to offer over €8 million per year to the Frenchman.
According to Spanish journalist Jose Alvarez on El Chiringuito TV, Barcelona will not Ousmane Dembele offer a deal worth over €8 million per year. The duration will be four years, whereas the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is only prepared to commit to a two-year contract.
Ousmane Dembele has resurrected his image in Barcelona fans’ minds superbly in the past year. From becoming the pantomime villain in the wake of the announcement that contract renewal talks had reached a point of no return, the 24-year-old has produced several noteworthy performances to win over the supporters.
The French international has amassed one goal and seven assists in his last six La Liga outings. But the threat of Dembele departing from Camp Nou as a free agent is still looming over Barcelona, which is why contract renewal talks could soon reopen. But there are several stumbling blocks between the two parties.
While Dembele is reportedly open to committing his long-term future to Barcelona, he is asking for a contract worth a staggering €20 million per year. And amid Barcelona’s continued financial woes, there is no way the Blaugrana can afford to pay the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner such terms.
? INFORMACIÓN de @10JoseAlvarez ?
? "El BARÇA NO le ofrecerá MÁS de 8 MILLONES a DEMBÉLÉ"
? "El CLUB quiere un contrato de 4 AÑOS y Ousmane de DOS"#ChiringuitoDembélé pic.twitter.com/sDKBtVbOuI
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) March 31, 2022
At the same time, Joan Laporta recently commented on Dembele’s contract situation again, with the Barcelona president suggesting he had not heard from the player’s camp regarding a renewal. The latest update points towards Barcelona being willing to offer only €8 million per year to the 24-year-old.
Another major obstacle for Barcelona will be ironing out the duration of the contract, with the Blaugrana offering a four-year contract. In contrast, Dembele is only prepared to commit the next two years of his career to the Catalan club. And amid rising interest in his services, such a predicament leaves Barcelona in a spot of bother.
For now, the two parties remain at odds over the terms of a new contract. And unless things change drastically, it seems as if Dembele will leave Barcelona as a free agent, with several clubs lining up to prise him away on a Bosman move.
