25-year-old Barcelona star set to give priority to extending stay at club: Reports
Barcelona have received a boost in their bid to tie down Ousmane Dembele to a new contract. The winger is free to leave the Spanish giants on a Bosman transfer with his contract expiring in June. No concrete decision has been made by the player on his future yet.
RMCSport reported that the Barcelona star is in favor of extending his stay at Camp Nou, having recently entered the good books of his manager. The cover of SPORT on May 20 has 'Dembele's Final Decision' emblazoned on it.
A third and 'definitive meeting' is scheduled between the Frenchman's representatives and the Barcelona hierarchy after their final La Liga fixture against Villarreal. In the previous two meetings that were conducted in April, the Catalans weren't able to satisfy the winger's demands.
However, this revised offer is expected to be closer to Dembele's expectations. There is no shortage of takers for him, with Chelsea, PSG and Bayern Munich all monitoring his situation in Spain. The 25-year-old deserves credit for turning his situation around at Camp Nou.
His career at Barcelona seemed all but over in January when the club instructed him to find a new club or extend his stay. Dembele refused to give in to the club's demands and did neither. He was sidelined on a few occasions and was even booed by the home support.
Ousmane Dembélé celebrates his 25th birthday today.
The winger leads La Liga in assists with 13 in 15 starts. A gift under Xavi 🎁 https://t.co/TQaYlMVgvo
However, the Frenchman turned around the situation with his on-field display. The Blaugrana winger has provided 11 assists in 15 La Liga appearances since the turn of the year and has been one of their most important players. Xavi Hernandez has praised the player in recent months and is eager to see him continue at Camp Nou.
Barcelona aiming for as many as nine summer signings
The Spanish giants are looking forward to a massive summer transfer window, and Spanish outlet AS understands that they have drawn a shopping list of nine players. Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen will join the Blaugrana on free transfers in the summer, which leaves seven players.
The report also suggests that Frenkie de Jong's sale could play an important part in facilitating some of these transfers. The likes of Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde have also been mentioned, with the Polish striker reportedly having agreed personal terms with Barcelona.
#FCB
Robert Lewandowski has already had two direct contacts with Xavi. The plan is still clear, contract until June 2025 discussed - it’s up to the clubs now. 🔵🔴 #FCB
There are no talks with any other club yet - as he wants Barcelona as priority.
More: youtu.be/jCGZSZ6_D4I https://t.co/8dxrybDeIa
Bayern Munich, however, insist that Lewandowski is their player until 2023.