Barcelona planning make-or-break talks with contract rebel: Reports
Barcelona are set to make a final attempt to reach an agreement with Ousmane Dembele over a new contract, according to Catalonian daily SPORT. The Blaugrana want a deal to be struck with the Frenchman before the end of the year.
Ousmane Dembele joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of €105 million in the summer of 2017. The Frenchman is currently in the final seven months of his contract with the La Liga giants.
Barcelona, who are currently managed by club legend Xavi, are determined to retain Dembele's services beyond next summer. The 24-year-old is also reported to be leaning towards putting pen to paper on a new contract.
Barça president Laporta: “I like Ousmane Dembélé, for me it’s clear: he’s better than Kylian Mbappé. He wants to stay and we want him to stay here”, he told @tv3cat. 🇫🇷 #FCB
“It’s about his agents bringing proposals to the player, we want to show him it’s not just about money”.
However, negotiations with Dembele's agent Moussa Sissoko have been unfruitful so far. There have been suggestions that the forward's entourage view him as a potential Ballon d'Or winner, and want Barcelona's proposal to reflect that.
Ousmane Dembele has also attracted significant transfer interest from the Premier League, making things more difficult for Barcelona. Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are among the clubs said to be interested in his services.
The France international's Barcelona future remains in the air. However, Xavi's side are set to make one final attempt to convince Dembele to stay at Camp Nou, according to SPORT. The Blaugrana have been tipped to make one last offer in an attempt to retain Ousmane Dembele's services.
If the report is to be believed, Barcelona want the contract rebel to respond to their offer by 31st December. Should he not sign a new deal by then, the Blaugrana will assume that he will leave next summer
Barça are preparing to offer Ousmane Dembélé one final renewal proposal. In reality, he feels well at Barcelona and wants to continue, but his salary demands are impossible for the club. If he doesn’t sign by the 31st of December, the club will assume he’s leaving.
— @sport https://t.co/5sguu2zPgu
As Barcelona prepare their final offer for Dembele, it remains to be seen if that will be enough to convince the player to commit his future to the club. Xavi, who replaced Ronald Koeman last month, will hope that is indeed the case.
Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele has Premier League interest
Ousmane Dembele will not be short of options should he decide to leave Barcelona next year. According to the report, the Frenchman's agent has already met with Premier League clubs, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Newcastle United, who were recently acquired by Saudi-led consortium Public Investment Fund, have also been reported to have an interest in Dembele. If reports are to be believed, the Magpies have even approached the former Borussia Dortmund forward with an offer.
Apart from clubs in the Premier League, Ousmane Dembele also has admirers across Europe. Serie A giants Juventus and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have reportedly been in touch with his agent.