Barcelona set for key meeting with Dembele’s representatives

The football world may be preoccupied with Euro 2020 and the Copa America, but Barcelona are concentrating on what their team is going to look like come next season.

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This means resolving the futures on a number of players. One such player is the unpredictable Ousmane Dembélé.

Barcelona want to decide Dembele’s future as soon as possible.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are set for a key meeting between themselves and the player’s representatives. The agenda for the said meeting will be about their willingness to sign a contract extension.

Dembélé’s contract is set to end at the end of the 2021-22 season and the Catalans want him to sign a new contract and not risk losing him on a free.

However, the Catalans are preparing for any possible outcome. While they would prefer to hold on to him, should the feeling coming out of the meeting be that they are unlikely to reach a deal, then the Catalans would have no choice but to sell him during this transfer window.

Dembélé could be used in a possible swap deal. With the club not in a position to pay for top talent, trading players becomes a more likely alternative.

The rumor at the moment is that they could use the Frenchman, and Sergi Roberto, in a swap deal with Manchester City for Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva. Though those in the City camp discard such a possibility.

He’s no stranger to being linked in swap deals as his name was constantly being brought up whenever Barca were negotiating for PSG for Neymar. In both occasions, he stayed as his only goal was to succeed with the Spanish giants.

This past season was Dembélé’s best since he arrived from Borussia Dortmund. He managed to stay relatively healthy all season and scored 11 goals and provided five assists across all competitions.

Again, while the club’s preference would be to tie him down to a long-term contract, they are ready to listen to offers just in case. A possible sale has the potential to bring in a significant fee which could allow them to strengthen the squad in other areas.