Barcelona will reportedly need to hand Ousmane Dembele a €20 million-a-year contract to secure his long-term future amid interest from PSG.
According to a report by French outlet Foot Mercato, Ousmane Dembele is demanding a contract worth €20 million per year to commit his long-term future to Barcelona beyond the summer transfer window. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner also has a verbal agreement with Paris Saint-Germain over a Bosman move.
Ousmane Dembele has endured a roller-coaster ride at Barcelona since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in August 2017. While he has shown several promising signs, injuries have often played spoilsport. The Frenchman reached his lowest ebb as a Barcelona player a couple of months ago when the Blaugrana announced the two parties had reached a point of no return in contract renewal negotiations.
The news did not go down well with Barcelona fans, who greeted Dembele with jeers in his first outing after the announcement. But the 24-year-old has let his game do the talking for him, and he has delivered the goods for Barcelona in the last few weeks, amassing one goal and seven assists in his previous five outings.
Manager Xavi Hernandez has been coy on the topic of Dembele’s renewal, but has insisted that the French international is an exemplary professional. Teammates have urged the player to stay put at Barcelona beyond the summer transfer window. At the same time, president Joan Laporta recent commented on his contract situation, stating that Dembele knows the club’s offer.
Recent reports have suggested that Dembele is open to signing a new deal with Barcelona, and further details have now emerged on that front. According to Foot Mercato, Dembele is demanding a contract worth €20 million per year net in salary and a signing bonus to commit his long-term future to Barcelona.
The report claims that Dembele and his entourage are inflexible over his demands and will persist with the €20 million stipulation. With PSG reportedly leading the race to sign Dembele after reaching a verbal agreement over a Bosman move, Barcelona will need to make a final decision on his renewal.
The Catalan giants are keen on securing the player’s long-term future amid his recent resurgence. But paying Dembele €20 million per year net in salary and a signing bonus could be beyond Barcelona’s means, especially with their financial troubles not entirely over. One can be sure that PSG will be monitoring the Frenchman’s situation keenly.