Ousmane Dembele, despite having a fall-out with Barcelona in January, wants to stay at the club.
Xavi has managed to unlock the best version of Dembele in a Barcelona shirt and the Frenchman wants to repay his coach. That said, Dembele has reiterated that he wants to stay at the club but insists that it is not in his hands.
As per a report from Marca, Ousmane Dembele will only be a Barca player next season if he agrees to the club’s terms.
First up, Barca want Dembele to understand their current economic situation and tone down on his monetary demands. The club values Dembele but within the offices, their impression of the player’s agent is not too great. Mousa Sissoko, Dembele’s agent threw a curveball at Barca in January, on the day of putting pen to Barca’s proposal. That sparked a fallout between the club and the player’s entourage. The former La Liga champions did try to offload Dembele but the player wanted to finish the season at Camp Nou.
The report also adds that much of Dembele’s salary will be incentive-based. It could depend on the number of games played by the Frenchman, goals scored, titles won, and so on. But, it is not too different from the proposal that Barca offered him a few months back.
It is also understood that Barca wants Dembele to prove his commitment to the Blaugrana crest. The 24-year-old feels valued under Xavi and is looking to pay him back.
The former Borussia Dortmund winger’s entourage have been in contact with Paris Saint-Germain but an agreement has not been reached yet. With only three months left in his current contract, there is hope that Dembele will continue as a Barca player.
Should Barcelona really keep him?
After what happened, no. But, from a logical and a sporting point of view, yes.
Ousmane Dembele is an impact player who can win games for his side on a whim. He is ambipedal and is arguably the most talented player of this generation. Having said that, it is better to have Dembele realize his potential at your club than elsewhere. But, only if he agrees to the club’s terms.
Los Cules’ economic situation is no joke. They have also almost ruled themselves out of the race for Erling Haaland because of his financial demands. Dembele has to adjust his demands within the club’s preset limits or he will be let go. It is as simple as that. Club president Joan Laporta has also insisted that he wants Dembele to stay but his entourage will need to approach first. Moreover, Barca will not make any new offers.
Barcelona must do everything in their power to keep Ousmane Dembele if the player approaches first and understands the club’s financial situation. The 24-year-old is confident that he can land himself a central role in Xavi’s project and is more than satisfied with how things are going for him, at the moment.
Dembele is feeling good physically and has notched six assists in his last six games. Is it about the time he realizes his potential at Camp Nou?
