La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly hopeful that they will manage to secure the long-term future of 24-year-old French attacker Ousmane Dembele.
According to reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona and Ousmane Dembele remain in talks to find a creative solution to extend his stay at Camp Nou beyond the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants and the 24-year-old attacker have “positive feelings” about the renewal.
Ousmane Dembele joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in August 2017 for a nine-figure sum and has since endured a topsy turvy ride at Signal Iduna Park. While he has always shown the enormous talent he possesses, the French international’s fitness woes held him back at Camp Nou.
Dembele reached his lowest ebb as a Barcelona player earlier this year as contract renewal talks between him and Barcelona reached a point of no return. The Catalan club’s director of football, Mateu Alemany, subsequently announced that Dembele would leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
The Blaugrana even hoped to offload the 24-year-old attacker in the January transfer window, but a move did not materialise. And the Barcelona fans greeted Dembele with jeers in his first appearance after news of his contract standoff broke out. That did not go down well with Xavi Hernandez, and the Barcelona manager gave Dembele his backing.
Ousmane Dembélé situation ?? #FCB
▪️ Talks ongoing with Barcelona to find creative formula to extend the contract.
▪️ The agreement is still not close but positive feelings between the parties.
▪️ New meeting soon as end of the season is close and Ousmane is still waiting. pic.twitter.com/1ppJxIdICw
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 12, 2022
Dembele has repaid Xavi’s faith by producing several world-class performances in the last two months, wherein he has arguably been Barcelona’s best player. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has a brilliant tally of one goal and 11 assists in 19 La Liga appearances this season, with only Karim Benzema providing more assists than him this term.
Meanwhile, the Catalan giants have been reignited contract renewal talks with Dembele, with the 24-year-old ready to commit his long-term future to the club. But Dembele’s wage demands are an obstacle, with Barcelona unable to offer him the salary he wants.
At the same time, clubs like Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are looking to prise the 24-year-old attacker away from Barcelona. But Barcelona and Dembele want to continue their union beyond the summer transfer window, with the two parties hopeful of reaching an agreement on a renewal.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona and Dembele continue to discuss ways to find a creative solution to meet his wage demands. The two parties will meet soon, with Dembele likely to remain at Camp Nou instead of departing as a free agent in the summer transfer window.