Barcelona and Ousmane Dembele seemed to be close to an agreement regarding the players’ new contract however, a new report from Sports.es suggests that negotiations are far from over and the player is actively looking for other clubs who will pay him more. The fact of the matter is that the Catalans cannot keep Dembele on his previous wages. The club is already over the salary cap placed by La Liga officials and if they are to get back to their former state of glory, they will have to reduce the enormous contracts that some of their players currently enjoy. However, Dembele is apparently not happy with the amount being offered and apparently, clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Juventus are all clubs that he will consider.
Xavi Hernandez is desperate to set a team around his top attackers and Dembele is very much a part of his plans. The 23-year-old winger has been praised heavily by Xavi and Joan Laporta and thus, it is evident that the club respects the player a lot. However, it seems as if the player feels disrespected that the club is trying to sign Erling Haaland, yet they cannot pay the salary he believes that he deserves. SPORT has reported that Dembele and his agent, Moussa Sissoko, have made a preliminary agreement with Juve however, they are also waiting for an offer from Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona refuse to give in to the demands of Ousmane Dembele
Dembele’s cryptic message on his Instagram story, a few days ago, suggested that the player was ready to increase his stay at Barca however, it seems that the deal has fallen off and that the Catalans will now have to search for a new winger to replace him. While Ferran Torres is a good addition to the team, a backup winger will also be required in case of injury. Memphis Depay could also be on his way out, after a lackluster season, and the club will have to replace him as well. At the moment players like Hakim Ziyech and Alvaro Morata have been linked with the club however, nothing has been finalized and if there is a mass exodus of players from Barcelona, next season might be quite tough for them.
Should Barca sell or keep Ousmane Dembele?