Fabrizio Romano provides update on 24-year-old Barcelona star's future at the club
Barcelona reportedly conducted a meeting with Ousmane Dembele's agent Moussa Sissoko in Marrakech earlier this week. The Frenchman's contract with the club is set to expire at the end of the season.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the goal of the meeting was to 'rebuild' the relationship between the club and Dembele's agent after a complicated few months. The Blaugranas have not begun contract extension talks with Sissoko but will schedule a meeting in the coming weeks to do so.
Ousmane Dembele rejected multiple contract offers from Barca during the first half of the season. He was heavily linked with a move away from Camp Nou in January as he had just six months remaining on his contract. The Frenchman, however, failed to secure a transfer.
He has since been reintegrated into the club's starting line-up by Xavi Hernandez and has taken his game to another level. Dembele has provided eight assists and scored one goal in his last six La Liga games for the Catalan giants. The 24-year-old has formed an impressive partnership with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ferran Torres in attack.
His performances have helped Barca climb up to second place in the league table, 12 points behind league leaders Real Madrid with a game in hand over Los Blancos. Xavi is rumored to be a massive fan of the Frenchman and is keen to keep hold of the forward.
#FCB 
Ousmane Dembélé situation. Meeting in Marrakech between his agent and Barcelona was to re-build the relationship after complicated January, but negotiations have not re-started yet. 🔴 #FCB
New meeting will be scheduled in the coming weeks to discuss about salary and more. https://t.co/W0znX6Spss
Ousmane Dembele will have to take a pay-cut if he wishes to stay at Barcelona
According to Forbes, Ousmane Dembele is currently earning €13 million-per-year at Barca. He is one of the highest earners at the club.
The Frenchman will have to accept a major pay-cut if he is to stay at Camp Nou. The Spanish giants could struggle to afford his current salary due to their complex financial situation and the new La Liga wage rules. As per Sport, the club could also offer him a two-year contract rather than a long-term deal.
Barcelona have restarted contract talks with Ousmane Dembele 👀 https://t.co/FJO2ugRlTn
Dembele was linked with a move to Chelsea in January and could receive lucrative offers from the Premier League giants and PSG this summer. The former Borussia Dortmund star has, however, reiterated his desire to stay at Barcelona and be part of Xavi's project with the club.